


Not Like the Movies

by Knightlycat



Series: Not Like the Movies [1]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bodyguard!Blaine, Famous!Kurt, M/M, Not Like the Movies 'verse, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-12-04 04:04:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 117,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knightlycat/pseuds/Knightlycat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When new Hollywood golden boy Kurt Hummel receives some disturbing letters, his manager hires bodyguard Blaine Anderson to be with him 24 hours a day. In an attempt to hide Blaine's true identity from the press they decide he needs to go undercover...as Kurt's boyfriend. Famous!Kurt Nevermet!AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_The latest buzz around Hollywood is that Kurt Hummel, the hottest new actor to hit the silver screen in quite a while, will need to dust off some mantle space come awards season. Of course, this should really be of no surprise, given the critical acclaim that he garnered from his debut role this past May in Defiance. If the parade of fashion Hummel has treated us to over the past several months is anything to go on, we might be in for a treat on the red carpet, but what we really can’t wait to see is who the openly gay actor will bring as his date. If he doesn’t have someone in mind, we know about a hundred guys who will volunteer._ — Alicia Jennings, _thebeatandthebuzz_ , September 3rd, 2018.

=^..^=

“No freaking way!”

“Kurt, please be reasonable about this—“

“Reasonable? You tell me you want to hire a bodyguard to follow me around 24/7 and you think _I’m_ the one being unreasonable? I don’t need a babysitter!” Kurt Hummel, overnight Hollywood sensation and potential Best Supporting Actor nominee threw up his hands in disgust and flashed a scorching glare at his manager.

Beverly March sighed and reached up to rub her slightly graying temples in an effort to stave off yet another tension headache. “Of course you don’t need a babysitter, but these letters you’ve been getting lately really have us worried and we don’t want to take any chances.”

“I keep telling you they’re no big deal. Plus, I’ve already got Steve. The man’s built like a mountain. A really pissed off mountain.”

“But Steve’s only there for big public events and we really need someone to be with you all the time. Not just premiers and such, but off-time and at home too. You know we’ve always been extra careful about your safety given who you are and how honest you’ve been, but these letters… We’re just concerned and feel it’s time to step things up.”

“How am I supposed to live my life with some hulk as my constant shadow? And what about the fans?” Kurt bit out, pacing the room like a bored polar bear at the zoo, his Doc Martin boots tapping out a rhythm on the bamboo floors. “What’re they going to think when they see poor, helpless Kurt Hummel, who can’t go anywhere without his security blanket?”

“That won’t be an issue. We don’t want it to get out that you might have a stalker.” Beverly looked down at her desk, suddenly fascinated by a dust bunny that was poking out from beneath her keyboard. “That’s a distraction we don’t need going into awards season, so we hired someone who’s your age and doesn’t look like a bodyguard.”

There was no response from Kurt, so Beverly snuck a look over at him, only to find him staring at her incredulously.

“You’ve hired him already? Without talking to me first?”

“Kurt, we needed to move fast on this and the perfect candidate came to our attention. He wasn’t going to be free for long, so we had to snap him up.”

“Why does it matter that he doesn’t look like a bodyguard? If he’s with me all the time the press will pick up on it fast enough no matter what he looks like.”

Beverly took a deep breath and braced herself before dropping the final bomb. “Not if we tell them he’s your boyfriend.”

=^..^=

Blaine Anderson sat patiently in the perfectly decorated reception area of March Artist Management, waiting to be called in to meet his new client. He knew who Kurt Hummel was, of course. Anyone who paid attention to the entertainment industry did. He’d been all over the magazines and internet since his film debut back in May. It was a rags-to-riches story the media couldn’t get enough of: Gay kid who was bullied in school becomes Tony winning Broadway sensation, and then goes onto even greater fame and critical acclaim when he co-stars in the film adaption of the musical. Open about his sexuality from the beginning, he had instantly become a hero to thousands of youths. His was the face that launched a thousand Tumblrs and had women all over the world wishing they were gay men (and gay men thankful to be, well, gay).

Blaine had been surprised to be offered the assignment. Ever since he’d been recruited to his private protection firm by a former teacher at his military high school Blaine had specialized in the protection of the children of the super-rich and powerful. His small stature, non-threatening demeanor, and charming personality made him an instant hit with children and helped him blend in; Perfect for families that didn’t want to call attention to the fact that they’d hired a bodyguard.

He’d actually gone to college with the plan of becoming a teacher, so he was happy to work with kids. In fact, Kurt’s manager had suggested that they use his background as part of his cover while working with Kurt. He would be pretending to be Kurt’s boyfriend, a former childhood friend from Ohio that had recently become reacquainted with the actor. The story would be that he was a former nanny who was in the process of relocating to California. Not being in the entertainment industry would hopefully keep the media from paying too much attention to him and the cover would also explain how he was able to spend so much time with Kurt and not at a job of his own.

Blaine reached up to straighten his tie, making sure it was lying flat against his plain light blue button-down. He took a quick glance at his gold pocket watch (the only personal indulgence he allowed himself while on the job) and wondered how much longer it would be before he was brought in to meet his client. A yelp suddenly rang out from inside of one of the offices, followed by a high-pitched screech of “Boyfriend?” Blaine took that as his cue and stood up, shaking the wrinkles from his navy blue slacks. The door to the office opened and Beverly March sheepishly beckoned Blaine inside. He gave her an easy smile, hoping to relieve her of any guilt she might have about the situation.

He scanned the room as he entered, making note of the layout, the position of the windows and door, and the locations of the two people within. Threat assessment had become second nature to him now and he found himself searching out the nearest exits even when he wasn’t on duty.

Kurt Hummel was standing against the huge double-paned windows (worst possible location in the event of an incident), his back to the room, arms held rigidly at his side. The tension in his spine was obvious even through fall–weight sweater he was wearing.

Beverly shut the door and nervously looked between the two men, her head bouncing back and forth like she was watching a tennis match. “Kurt Hummel, I’d like you to meet Blaine Anderson.”

Kurt turned and looked Blaine up and down with an insulting thoroughness before raising an eyebrow and giving a dismissive sneer. “Him? He doesn’t look like a bodyguard. He’s too small.”

Blaine flashed a practiced grin, not bothered by Kurt’s reaction. “That’s kind of the idea, isn’t it? To not look like a bodyguard, I mean.” He strode forward and held his hand out in greeting, daring Kurt to refuse to shake it.

Kurt stared at the hand for a moment, before reluctantly grasping it in his own and giving it a quick shake. The contact was brief, but Blaine felt a spark travel up his arm and down his spine, like the feeling he used to get when his brother Cooper would scuff his feet on the carpet and then touch Blaine to give him an electrical shock. A wave of attraction broke over him and he struggled to push it away. He couldn’t afford to feel that away about a client. The risks were too great, especially when he had to build trust between them.

Kurt looked him over carefully from head to toe. “Beverly, can you leave us alone for a minute?”

Beverly seemed like she was about to argue, but instead turned on her nude-toned kitten heel and left the room, closing the door behind her. Kurt leaned his hips back against the desk as he crossed his arms, wariness evident in every inch of his body. “I don't need a personal bodyguard.”

“Your manager seems to think differently.”

 Kurt threw Blaine a disgruntled look and moved to the cherry wood table at the far side of the room to pour a glass of water.

“Are you worried I’ll cramp your style?” Blaine asked. “Get in the way of you cutting a path through young, hot, and available Hollywood?”

Kurt’s hand slipped and he missed the glass, pouring water out onto the table top. “N-no, I-I just don't see the need. Everyone is just over-reacting. The letters are nothing. Just a fan who doesn’t know how to correctly express their admiration.” He sopped up the spilled water with a napkin, which he threw into a nearby trashcan before trying again to fill the glass. “Plus I don’t like the idea of you posing as my boyfriend. It doesn’t feel right, being dishonest with my fans like that.”

“Beverly said it was necessary in order to keep news of a potential stalker quiet.”

Kurt snorted in cynical amusement. “Are you really that naïve? Yes, talk of a stalker right now might be a little distracting, but probably much less so than that of a boyfriend. Bev’s just taking advantage of the situation and using the boyfriend angle as free publicity.”

Blaine chuckled, shaking his head as he took a seat on the leather sofa.

“What you are smiling about?”

“Just loving the irony that you having a boyfriend is considered a positive thing. Times, they are a-changing, right?”

Kurt stared at him for a second before breaking out into a slight smile, his beautiful blue-green eyes looking off into the distance for a second. “Yeah, that is kind of great, actually.” The two men exchanged looks, sharing a moment. “So, what are your qualifications? I wasn’t kidding earlier when I said you look too small to be a bodyguard.”

“I’ve been a bodyguard for two years, working almost exclusively with kids. Bev has a file on me if you’d like to see information on all of my training. I’m good at my job, Kurt. I promise.”

“You’ll be in the magazines, on the entertainment sites. Will this ruin your cover for other jobs?”

Blaine shook his head, having already anticipated the question. “My cover is usually that I’m a nanny or tutor for the kids I’m protecting. We’ll use the nanny background here too and when I return to those jobs this publicity will actually reinforce my cover.”

“Are you going to be okay with the press saying we’re dating? I mean, are you…”

“Gay? Yes, I am actually. Don’t worry. I understand what it is I’m signing up for. It won’t be a problem.”

Kurt considered him for a moment, his body language showing that he was still wary of Blaine, still uncomfortable with the whole situation, but he finally gave a deep sigh and seemed to come to a decision. He opened the door and called Beverly (who was hovering so near the door she had to have been eavesdropping) back into the office.

“Against my better judgment I’m going to agree to hire Blaine, but,” he held up a finger to halt Bev’s forthcoming celebration. “I need him to be less of a bodyguard and more of an… extra pair of eyes. I don’t need someone in reflective glasses standing behind me protectively all the time and I won’t have someone dictating where I can go and what I can do. This will be the most casual bodyguard assignment ever or it won’t happen. Got it? Also, I want to put a hold on making a boyfriend announcement. Let’s have Blaine just start being around and see if the press makes anything of it. If they do, we’ll deal with it then.”

Beverly didn’t look happy at this turn of events, but nodded her agreement, smart enough to quit while she was ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

_Kurt Hummel Exposed!_

_Hollywood’s new golden boy is hiding a shocking secret. An extensive week long investigation has uncovered not one, but two secret love children in his past. The first, a girl, was born towards the end of his sophomore year of high school, to a girl we’ll call “Q”, who was a fellow cheerleader that Hummel dated for a few weeks to hide the fact that he was gay. “Q” was heartlessly thrown out of her house by her two gay dads when they discovered the pregnancy and received no support at all from dead-beat dad Hummel. “Q” triumphed over this adversity and moved to L.A. after graduation, where she got a contract as a sessions back-up singer. The second offspring is even more shocking. In his senior year of high school, Hummel carried on an illicit affair with a teacher, who we’ll refer to as “S”, a much beloved educator who was evidently also a local TV news celebrity and OCD sufferer. After preying on her desperate need for affection and loving nature, Hummel dumped her, but not before planting a bun in her oven. She decided to keep the baby, dashing her hopes of moving to New York and staring on Broadway. Instead she remained in Lima, Ohio and continued to coach the high school football team. What else is Kurt Hummel hiding?_ — TheirDirtyLaundryUncovered blog, September 3rd, 2018.

=^..^=

Kurt stopped his car at a red light and looked over at the near-stranger occupying the passenger seat. A stranger who was going to be living in his house. Blaine caught him looking and flashed a confident smile. Kurt grumbled to himself and redirected his focus back to the road. Didn’t this situation make Blaine uncomfortable at all? It didn’t seem like it did. He just sat there with his stupid (beautiful) smile, slicked down Cary Grant style hair, and ridiculous eyelashes (seriously, how did the guy even lift his eyelids?) flickering over eyes the color of honey.

Being alone with another man, at least one that wasn’t a close friend or family member, wasn’t something that Kurt was very comfortable with. He had spent the first two years of high school the subject of general bullying by the brainless cattle that played for the various sports teams, at the mercy of their petty (and frankly unimaginative) torments. He had thought that there could be nothing worse, but unfortunately he had been proven wrong. Towards the beginning of his junior year he had become the target of a specific brand of hate and violence that made him long for the halcyon days of slushies and dumpster drops. He had hated being a victim, but hadn’t seen a way out, so he had just tried to endure. He had drifted away from his friends, unsure if they even noticed the harassment, sure that they didn't really care. He had tried to keep being his fabulous self on the outside, but his social interactions became less and less.

It wasn’t until Junior Prom that things had started to get better. He hadn’t had a date, of course, but the glee club was performing at the dance, so he had been forced to attend. Towards the middle of the evening his classmates had voted him prom queen in a cruel joke and he had left the gym in tears and begun walking home alone. Part way home he had felt a presence behind him and had been afraid that the bullies might be coming after him, but when he turned he had found the entire glee club, still dressed in their prom finery, following to ensure his safety. After that, things got better. He let his guard down a little and became closer friends with most of the kids in the club. He and Rachel had even bonded during the next summer and decided that they were both going to audition for NYADA the following year. The harassment at school didn’t stop, but having friends standing with him made it easier to endure.

Despite the improvements, Kurt had still held himself a part from those around him. Literally and figuratively. He hugged the edges of rooms and kept his arms wrapped around himself or around his messenger bag strap, anything to prevent his hands from accidently reaching out and touching someone inadvertently.

When he went off to New York after graduation he took with him the same mentality he’d had in high school: Don't get too close and they can't hurt you as much. Don't expose the soft underbelly. Being with like-minded people helped him soften a bit as he realized he didn't have to keep people at arms-length; Hands-length was enough. And suddenly there were men aplenty, men who made it obvious they would welcome his attention, many who pursued him. His wariness was deeply engrained, though, and it was tough to break out of old habits, but he did try. Unfortunately his attempts at dating had been spectacularly unsuccessful. Ever since he could remember he had dreamed of an epic romance, a love like the ones found in the lyrics of a Broadway musical or in the final reel of an old black and white movie, but life wasn’t like the movies. He had a few encounters, but most ended up as one-night-stand where the guy left without a word before morning. Kurt decided either he was horrible in bed or he just wasn’t the kind of guy that people imagined being in a relationship with (and let’s face it, neither option made him anxious to try again). He quickly realized that he needed emotional attachment in order to have sex and since he wasn’t getting it, he stopped.

Time passed and soon he was living out his wildest career dreams. As things in that avenue of his life got better he started to wonder if maybe it was time to open himself up to the possibility of love again, but then he moved to Hollywood. The false faces everyone wore there turned his stomach, so he stayed far out of reach of the Lotharios that haunted the clubs and industry parties. Everywhere he went he was surrounded by men who didn't care if you were a serial killer as long as you were good looking or could give them a leg up in their career and he felt his cynicism grow. And, of course, success was not without its price. Suddenly the bullying was back — from the right wing media and politicians, from anonymous people on the internet, from co-stars who were willing to do anything to get ahead, and industry people who regularly picked on those beneath them in the food chain.

So there he was — a star in the making, but no less lonely, no less unsure of his place in the world. He found the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

After having reluctantly agreed to Bev’s not-really-a-suggestion that he hire Blaine he had found himself swept up in a whirlwind of plans. When Bev had asked Blaine when he could start he had replied with a disgustingly peppy “No time like the present,” and before Kurt knew it he had found himself in the car (after watching Blaine perform a quick security sweep of the garage that Kurt found wholly unnecessary), driving them both to his house. Blaine had come to L.A. just to take Kurt on as a client, so he didn’t have a car. He’d come right from the airport to Bev’s office, so he had all of his belongings with him and would send for the remainder the next day.

Kurt made a right turn towards his house in the Hollywood Hills and gave thanks that he was the one doing the driving, as it kept him from spending too much time looking at Blaine. They were only 10 minutes from Kurt’s house when Blaine broke the silence. “So, Kurt, tell me about what’s been going on with this potential stalker.”

“Didn’t Bev tell you all about it?”

“Yeah, but I want to get your take on it. Understand how seriously, or not, you’re taking this.”

Kurt squirmed in his seat a bit, uneasy with the topic. He downplayed the situation to Bev and pretended that it didn’t worry him, but it was definitely something that came to mind from time to time. “About three months ago I started to get these letters, on almost a daily basis, from someone claiming to be my biggest fan. They were…intense right from the start, going on and on about how I had changed their life, how they’ve been my biggest fan since the musical premiered on Broadway, how we were perfect for each other if only we could meet, that kind of thing. Hey, do you think this is some kind of record? Only five months since my first movie premiered and I might already have a stalker?”

He could see his attempts to lighten the mood were not totally appreciated, so he continued on. “At first the letters came to Bev’s office, like all of my fan mail, but within a couple of weeks they started coming to my home. Eventually hand delivered packages began showing up and the letters started including details about what I had done that day, who I had seen, like someone was following me. I started getting hang-up calls from a blocked number and then a month ago a letter came that had a photo of me inside my house that someone had taken through the window. That was the last straw for Bev. She demanded I move to a new house with better security, rented under a fictitious name, and started having a chauffeur pick me up almost every time I left the house.” Blaine gave him a speaking look and glanced around the car. “I know, I know. I rebelled this morning and insisted on driving myself.”

Blaine shot him another look that promised that such rebellion was now in the past. “Did the new house make a difference?”

“I have been 100 percent personal delivery free since I moved in and the letters have slowed to a trickle and kind of returned back to their original ‘I love you, you are my destiny’ vibe. I don’t know if they got bored with following me around or just can’t find me, but this is why I think Bev’s over-reacting. Things are better. I don’t need a shadow.”

Blaine ignored the last part of his statement. “You have personal protection at events, right? How long has that been going on?”

Kurt checked for traffic in his mirrors then made a left turn onto a quieter side street. “From the very beginning. The studio was worried that me being so open about my sexuality would bring the crazies out, so they hired Steve —whom I affectionately call ‘The Mountain’, though never to his face — and he’s been with me for all big public events since. We’ve never really had a problem. Just slightly overzealous fans, obnoxious paparazzi, and a few ‘you’re going to burn in hell’ protestors, but who doesn’t have those, right?”

Kurt turned off the road onto a driveway and reached up to the visor above his head to push a button to open the giant, solidly built gate that blocked their way. Once the gate opened he drove through and in moments they were in front of a lovely Spanish bungalow-style house. It might have been just a rental, but Kurt always felt a sense of homecoming as soon as he saw its apricot colored exterior and red tiled roof. The house had been built in the 1920’s and had been recently been renovated, so it had all the modern comforts and updates, but still had a sense of history and was surrounded by lush gardens. It was stylish, but not frivolous, much like its current occupant.

Kurt parked the car in the partially detached garage and crossed the short covered walkway to the back door of the house. He unlocked the door and keyed the code into the security system before motioning Blaine inside for the grand tour. Kurt was proud of what he had been able to do with the place in just a few weeks. The house had come furnished with stylish furniture from Crate and Barrel, so there was only so much he could do to make it his own, but the colors were neutral and the prints thankfully very tasteful, so he was happy. He had rearranged the rooms to great effect (if he did say so himself) and created a little haven that felt like home. He had stored away most of the loose décor items that had come with the house and put out his own personal things — pictures of his family and friends, his Tony, framed Broadway posters, and favorite knick-knacks from his apartment in NYC. It wasn't perfect and his office was still half-full of unopened boxes, but the house now said something about the personality of the person who lived there and he was comfortable.

He watched Blaine surreptitiously as they walked through the rooms of the house, caring more about what he thought than was sensible given that they had only known each other a few hours. Kurt chalked it up to the fact that Blaine was only the third person to see what he had done with the place. He was allowed to feel anxious until at least the fifth person. He showed Blaine the two guest bedrooms and let him pick which one he wanted for his own. He then left Blaine to unpack his small carry-on bag and went to the kitchen to pour them some drinks. He quickly mixed together some iced tea and came out of the kitchen to find Blaine in the living room looking over a series of family photos nestled on top of the piano in the corner.

“Your family, I assume?” Blaine asked, accepting a glass of tea from Kurt.

“Dad, step-mom, and step-brother. They’re all still back in Ohio.”

“What are you going to tell them?”

Kurt didn’t even bother to pretend to misunderstand. “I’m not sure yet. They don’t know about the letters and I’d prefer to keep it that way. I don’t want to worry them and if I tell them that I now I have full time bodyguard there’s no way the whole story isn’t coming out. I think I’ll take a page from Scarlet O’Hara’s book and think about that another day.”

“Do you mind if I do a closer inspection of the house? I know Bev had a security company do an evaluation before you moved in, but I’d like to take another look, see if I find any security problems or changes I would recommend.”

“Of course, be my guest. Faites comme chez vous.” Blaine looked at him blankly. “Sorry. Make yourself at home.”

Kurt watched as Blaine scoped out the house, methodically reviewing it room-by-room. Kurt tried to act casual, but his eyes kept going to Blaine’s round and (presumably) firm ass as he bent over to examine a door lock. Damn, he was going to be lucky to have a coherent thought for the entire time Blaine was with him. Blaine gave a walking commentary as he went through each room, helping Kurt to understand what he was doing and why, but most of the time Kurt just tuned out what he was saying and concentrated on the man himself. Blaine’s demeanor was very formal and proper, yet strangely comforting and Kurt would bet that he was great working with kids (and his hands, he bet he was good with his hands). He admired Blaine’s concentration and attention to detail (along with his ass). It reminded Kurt of the thoroughness with which he researched a new part.

As Blaine rose up on his tip-toes to run his fingers along the top a window casing, Kurt’s eyes were once again drawn to the lines of his body, which were sleek and toned (though he was being done no favors by the ultra-basic, unflattering clothes he was wearing). Kurt had always thought he had good posture, but Blaine put him to shame and he found himself pulling his shoulders back and lengthening his neck slightly to compensate.

Blaine finished writing up some notes and excused himself so that he could call his company and have a few items sent to the house. Kurt watched him go, struggling to keep up his aloof façade. Blaine was so confident and contained and Kurt envied that. Sometime he felt like he was a big fraud and that at any moment someone was going to stand up, point at him, and loudly exclaim that he was an imposter, that losers like him didn’t belong in Hollywood. He bet that Blaine never had doubts like that. Kurt sighed and picked up the discarded glasses to take them back to the kitchen, wondering if it was too soon to call this whole bodyguard thing a disaster in the making.

=^..^=

Later that evening, Kurt walked out of his bedroom, making one last adjustment to the silver print scarf casually knotted around his neck. He had promised a former co-worker weeks ago that he would make an appearance at a party she was throwing at a local club, but he was feeling uneasy now that it would be his first public outing with his human barnacle.

He called out for Blaine to hurry up as he leaned over to wipe a smudge from his new Burberry boots. He thought his selected ensemble achieved the playful, yet edgy effect he was looking to achieve. Since hitting the Hollywood scene he had garnered quite the reputation for his fashion choices and was definitely feeling the pressure to look incredible and on-trend whenever he went out. Unlike Blaine, who dressed like an accountant. Kurt paused as a sensible pair of loafers appeared next to his boots and he raised his eyes past the dark gray slacks and classic white button-up to Blaine’s face. “I did say we’re going to a club, right? Not an actuary convention.”

Blaine looked down at his clothes self-consciously and reached up a hand to smooth away a non-existent wrinkle. “Sorry, I don’t have much with me today, though the rest of my clothes aren’t much better. I try and blend into the background when I’m working with kids and I’m always working, so this kind of thing is really all I own these days.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and made a mental note to take Blaine shopping. There was no way he was going to be photographed constantly with Blaine dressed the way he was. Just the association alone would bring down his fashion rep.

The car, driven by Kurt’s regular chauffer, Bill, arrived and Blaine hurried out first to introduce himself. He opened the SUV door for Kurt and made sure they were both buckled in before giving Bill the ‘ok’ to head out. It only took them about 20 minutes to reach the club, during which time Kurt tried to keep his mind off of Blaine, but his eyes kept returning to him over and over. Blaine didn’t seem to have the same problem, spending the first few minutes watching the cars behind them to make sure they weren’t followed before settling in to read through a file he had brought with him.

When they arrived at the club’s VIP entrance Blaine got out first and did a discreet scan of the area before opening the door for Kurt. He gently took ahold of Kurt’s hand to help him down from the SUV and the gentlemanly move had Kurt suppressing a sigh that would have done a teenage girl proud. Kurt knew it was all part of the job, but he got a little thrill from the old-fashioned courtesy (though he would never admit it, even if his vintage Chanel car coat was threatened).

The inside of the club was predictably loud and the ‘thumpa-thumpa’ music showed no imagination or originality, but the crowd seemed to be having a good time. Penny, who had worked with him on his first movie, was throwing the party to celebrate the premier of her new TV series, so the VIP room was filled with the usual suspects of actors, writers, agents, groupies, and behind-the-scenes piranhas and hangers-on. Kurt heard a squeal rise above the house music when Penny saw him and briefly wondered if she had ever considered doing voice work for monster sound-effects as he submitted to her bone crushing hug. He introduced Blaine as a friend visiting from out-of-town and pretended not to see the half-questioning, half-calculating look she shot his way. They talked for a bit before Penny peeled away to great the next newcomer and then he and Blaine went to the bar to grab drinks. Once they had Kurt’s Cosmo (with added paper umbrella, thank you very much) and Blaine’s ginger ale, they threaded their way back through the mob to the seating area.

Kurt grabbed a seat on an empty sofa against the back wall, as far away from the main action as possible while still remaining in the club. Blaine looked torn for a moment while he decided where to sit, finally selecting a chair next to Kurt instead of joining him on the sofa, perhaps knowing that Kurt needed to maintain some semblance of personal space in the midst of all of this. As they sat and watched the dancing, Kurt ran his hand back and forth across the soft suede of the sofa, letting some of the tension of the day drain out, carried away by the textures rubbing up against the pads of his fingers.

He was so caught up in the hypnotic movements of the dancers and velvety feeling under his fingertips that he gave a jump of surprise when he felt the sofa dip with the weight of a body settling in besides him. He turned to see a man that he vaguely recognized as one of the bit players on Penny’s show who he had met briefly at some event. A quick check showed that Blaine was watching the situation carefully, though stealthily, his drink set aside, body arranged in a deceptively casual pose, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation. Kurt greeted the man (Eric? Patrick?) with a friendly, yet reserved “hello”. They spoke for a few minutes and as the man got friendlier and moved in closer Kurt could feel himself withdraw. It wasn’t that the man was doing anything wrong, because he wasn’t, it was just that Kurt had never really become comfortable with being hit on. He was flattered, of course, but no matter how many years passed and how many new experiences he had, he still felt like that outcast kid in high school that no one wanted.

When the man reached over to place his hand of Kurt’s knee, Kurt knew he had reached his limit. He crossed his arms protectively across his middle and shot a glance at Blaine, hoping that his message was clear.

Blaine, who had been keeping his distance, clearly not wanting to overstep, especially since they weren’t playing the boyfriend card yet, immediately jumped into action. He moved over next to Kurt and sat lightly on the arm of the sofa next to his shoulder, not quite touching him, but only inches away. He didn’t say anything, but just looked pointedly at the man until he shifted uncomfortably and made a lame excuse before making a hasty exit. Blaine remained where he was as a few other acquaintances stopped by to speak with Kurt.

Eventually the throng of dancers got larger and started to encroach on the seating area. A giggling girl stumbled by, spilling her drink of Kurt’s designer jeans and boots. He gave her a look that should have turned her to stone, but she didn’t seem to notice, concentrating only on making a bee-line for the bar to get a replacement drink.

Kurt set aside his barely touched Cosmo. He hated parties like this. He was miserable and could feel tequila soaking into his skin through the wet denim. He just wanted to go home and watch some bad reality TV and judge people, was that too much to ask? He checked the time on this phone and determined that he had paid his dues and could now slip out without being considered rude.

At his signal Blaine called the car to meet them at the exit. Kurt said his goodbyes to Penny and before he knew it they were on the way back to his house.

After an awkward ‘goodnight’ and a few hours of watching _Bonding with the Beckhams_ while snuggled beneath his Ralph Lauren comforter and marveling that Harper Beckham owned a pair of stiletto heels at age seven (but then, what could be expected with a mother like Posh?), Kurt turned off the light and thought about the events of the day and wondered how this was going to change his life. He wiggled deeper into his mattress and feel asleep humming _Me and My Shadow_.


	3. Chapter 3

_Reminder! Make sure to put your tumblr riot gear on Thursday night. Kurt’s going to be on_ The Tonight Show _._

_Does anyone know if there will be a live stream for this?_

_Asfhfdhsfhsd I can’t wait! [My_body_is_ready.gif]_

_#He is perfection #if you think otherwise you are wrong_

_*Sigh* yes perfect man is perfect_

_I LoVE it when that man is on my screen. Instant LADY BONER #and my boyfriend loves being the beneficiary #I mean #what_

=^..^=

The next few days were uneventful as Blaine and Kurt tried to find a rhythm for their uneasy co-habitation. Kurt had a week off from filming a supporting role in a new movie, so he used the time to read scripts, sign photos of himself to be sent as replies to fan mail, catch up on fashion magazines, and watch TV locked away in his room. Blaine could appreciate how hard the situation must be for Kurt, for he could already tell that he was someone who liked — who needed — his personal space, but he couldn’t help but be a little frustrated at their lack of interaction. Things would only get more comfortable between them if they were able to move onto being more than polite strangers and that was difficult to do with Kurt finding a million and one things to do other than talk to Blaine. There was hope, though; Every once and a while Blaine would catch Kurt watching at him, looking as if he wanted to say something, but he always glanced away quickly and pretended to be busy with something else.

There was an advantage to Kurt finding projects to occupy himself with. It was during those times, when Kurt would sit quietly in a chair for hours, reading or wearing out a Sharpie signing autographs, that Blaine was able to take his time and really observe him. It was interesting to see how the real man differed from Blaine’s preconceptions of him. On screen, Kurt was ethereal and almost delicate, the light illuminating his pale skin to the point where he almost seemed to glow. His performance in _Defiance_ had been surprisingly vulnerable and raw, with every thought, every emotion, playing out on his face. Given the performances and interviews he had seen, Blaine had expected Kurt to be energetic, warm, and open with an engaging sense of humor and he was definitely all those things at times, but he more often tended to be low key and aloof, observing those around him with a wary eye. The sense of humor was definitely there, but it had a harder edge to it, a cynicism and judgmental core, that Blaine hadn’t expected.

In person Kurt was even more beautiful, each turn of his head exposing a new angle, a new flash of color in his eyes that fascinated. He was thinner and taller than he appeared onscreen and his chestnut brown hair was teased just a touch higher (if that was even possible). Perhaps the most unexpected thing about Kurt as a real person was how drawn to him Blaine was. He’d met famous people before and had never been really impressed, so he hadn’t come into this job expecting to feel anything except dedication to a client, and perhaps, if he was lucky, friendship.

When he wasn’t occupied with trying to analyze the mystery that was Kurt Hummel, Blaine read through the files on the stalking case that had been put together by the security agency Bev had hired earlier. He read the letters and looked through the photos, trying to get a handle on the mentality and motivation behind them. He familiarized himself with Kurt’s upcoming schedule and messaged back-and-forth with a few other bodyguards that he knew had worked closely with actors who were having security issues in order to get any insights they might have. Finally he spoke with Steve, Kurt’s ‘official’ bodyguard, to make sure they were on the same page and to talk about their strategy for the times when they would both be present at an event.

The short lull in activity ended on Thursday when Kurt began preparing for his appearance on _The Tonight Show_ that evening. Kurt didn’t work with a stylist, so he spent the morning selecting the perfect outfit to wear. Blaine was reading in the living room when Kurt sailed in wearing the first of several options he had narrowed himself down to.

“What do you think of this one? I’m looking to strike the right balance between trendsetter and classically handsome. Although why I’m asking the opinion of someone wearing synthetic fabric, I’ll never know. I might as well go ask the homeless guy that lives across from the McDonalds.”

“Well, if you don’t want my opinion…” Blaine trailed off, looking back down at his paperwork and pretending to lose interest in Kurt.

“No, no! I’m sorry. I’m just usually not so indecisive about fashion. My ability to put together an amazing ensemble in two minutes flat is one of my many talents, so this is kind of throwing me. It’s my first late night talk show and I guess I’m kind of nervous and when I get nervous I tend to compensate by upping the bitch factor. I really want your opinion. Please?” Kurt bit his lower lip slightly and gave Blaine big, sad puppy dog eyes.

Blaine looked closer at the black shirt Kurt was wearing. “I saw an interview last week with the cute guy from that new med school show and he was wearing the same shirt.”

Kurt gave a squeak of horror. “No no no no no. They’ll feature me on ‘Bitch Stole My Look’ and that is sooo not the way I want to get on _Fashion Police_ for the first time.”

Blaine had a hard time containing his laughter at the look on Kurt’s face as he imagined the people on Eonline voting on if he or the other celebrity had worn the shirt better. He was still chuckling to himself when Kurt returned from his room in a new outfit and struck a ‘ta-da’ pose. Suddenly, things weren’t so funny anymore. Blaine was glad for the poker face he had perfected as a bodyguard because, damn, Kurt looked good. His blue jacket with straps and metallic accents was edgy, but not over the top and the textured black pants were so tight that Blaine nearly choked on his tongue. “That…” he cleared his throat to clear the frog that had taken up residence, “that looks great. You should always wear blue. It makes your eyes look really…um…blue.” Blaine mentally face palmed at his inability to speak articulately (so unprofessional Blaine, get it together), but thankfully Kurt didn’t seem to notice.

With his outfit decided on, Kurt returned to his room to wrap it up in a suit bag and put together the rest of his supplies.

Lynn, Kurt’s publicist, arrived in a limo around one o’clock to take them to Burbank for the taping. Kurt gathered up his messenger and suit bags and headed to the door, turning back to snap his fingers at Blaine to speed him up. Blaine felt his hackles rise slightly at the gesture and mentally started a ‘topics to discuss with Kurt’ list in his head.

The ride to the studio went quickly, with Kurt and Lynn going over the list of stories and anecdotes Kurt had put together for things to talk about on the show. Lynn helped him pare the list down to a few options to present to Jay and also confirmed that a video they had prepared had already been sent to the show’s production department. Blaine just sat back and listened, fascinated by his first real exposure into the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry.

After they arrived at the television studio they were met by a production assistant who showed them to Kurt’s dressing room. Christine, the hair and make-up artist Kurt had been using since he arrived in Hollywood was already waiting for them there. She did his make-up (“Honestly Kurt, if you get any paler you’re going to blow out the white balance on the cameras.”) and had just finished sweeping his hair up even higher than usual when the host, Jay Leno, stopped by to greet them. He and Kurt discussed a quick skit they were going to shoot that would be used on a later show and then headed out to the parking lot to film it.

Because the show taped in front of a live audience, who were already waiting in line, Blaine kept a watchful eye out as they filmed. Public events, where an announcement was made ahead of time indicating where Kurt would be, were the ones that concerned him the most from a security standpoint. Blaine made a point of keeping his eyes off of Kurt, instead sweeping them over the surrounding buildings and the people who had gathered to watch the proceedings. Now was not the time to become distracted by the man who had proved to be more interesting that Blaine had ever imagined.

With about an hour left before the taping of the show itself was to begin, Blaine joined Kurt and Lynn in the green room backstage, where they met the other celebrity guest and the musical performer. Just as he had done at the party the week before, Kurt stayed mostly to himself after politely greeting everyone. He took a seat on the chair furthest from the conversation and pulled out his phone. A few moments later, Blaine felt his own phone vibrate and he pulled it out to see a Twitter update from Kurt.

 _First time on_ The Tonight Show _! I hope I don’t pass out. Wish me luck #talkshowvirgin_

Finally, show time arrived and Kurt was given his five minute warning. Blaine followed him from the green room out towards the stage, where they were stopped in a holding area. From his location, Blaine could see up into the studio audience and he scanned the faces carefully, trying to catalog as many as he could so that he could start to pick out people who showed up to Kurt’s events over and over. When he was done he turned his attention to Kurt, who was waiting patiently for his cue. He was standing just out of view of the audience, quiet and not really looking at anything in particular. Blaine could see a tightness and unease in Kurt’s eyes, a vulnerability that he found ridiculously attractive and that called out to his protective nature. Then Jay called Kurt’s name and a transformation occurred. Kurt stood up straighter, the tension melting away from his face, and within seconds he was ‘Kurt Hummel, Hollywood ‘It’ man’. He strode confidently around the corner and out onto the stage, the star everyone expected him to be. But Blaine couldn’t forget the glimpse he’d had of the more vulnerable Kurt and he suddenly had hope that they’d be able to make their whole crazy situation work.

The crowd cheered wildly when Kurt stepped out onto the stage. He waved ‘hello’ to the audience and greeted Jay, who thanked him for appearing on the show before diving into their pre-arranged questions.

“So, big hit movie and the critics loved it. I hear some awards might be in your future.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. You never make these things thinking of awards, you know. You just want to do a good job and entertain the audience.” Kurt said modestly.

“You’ve come so far in just five months. How did you get such a juicy role your first time out?”

“I always knew I wanted to be a performer, so I applied to NYADA in New York after high school, but I didn’t get in.” The audience interrupted with cries of disbelief and protests. “I know, right? Boooo! I didn’t get in, but I decided I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I went to New York anyways and set about auditioning for every role I could find: Broadway, Off-Broadway, singing waiter, you name it. Eventually I got signed on for a small role in a workshop that was being put together. The workshop went on for over a year and just as we were about to open on Broadway one of the other actors left, so I was promoted to a featured role. To everyone’s shock the show was a big hit and we received a bunch of Tony nominations. No one was more surprised than me when I won. Then, about a year ago they started casting the movie and I was one of the original cast members that they asked to participate. It’s been kind of a whirlwind, as you can imagine.”

Jay laughed and winked at the audience. “I bet you have a few choice things to say to the NYADA selection committee now, huh?”

“Oh, gosh no. I’m actually really grateful I didn’t get accepted. I wouldn’t be where I am now if I had been. Besides, one of my best friends graduated from there and got a great education, so nothing but love for them. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“How did it feel to win the Tony? And for your first time on Broadway at that.”

“It’s still kind of hard for me to believe. I mean, just a few years earlier I was just another kid at the bottom of the high school food chain and there I was accepting the award in front of some of my biggest heroes. I sometimes think it might have all been some big mistake and someday there’ll be a knock on my door from someone looking to get the statue back. But they’d better not.  I’ll fight them for it.”

“I’m sure everyone here has a hard time picturing you as unpopular in high school.” There were a few shouts of agreement from people in the audience. “Were you in theater, student government, anything like that?”

“I was Tony in our senior production of West Side Story. I never ran for office though, I was so off the radar that I would have gotten creamed. There’s no way I would have embarrassed myself like that.”

“You had to belong to some clubs, right?”

“I was in glee club. We were national champs my senior year,” Kurt reported with some pride.

Jay smirked at him and gave him a knowing smile. “Glee club, huh?”

"Oh no, you have a video, don't you?" Kurt looked out at the audience with an expression of embarrassment mixed with resignation.

"We might have received a compilation of your greatest hits from an old friend.”

The video began playing, starting with an obviously much younger Kurt in a black leotard doing a dance to _Single Ladies_. The “awwws” from the women in the crowd at the adorableness of young Kurt filled the studio and Blaine saw that Kurt was caught off guard a little at the reaction. The video played through clips of Kurt performing _4 Minutes_ while dressed as a cheerleader (item number two now on Blaine’s ‘topics to discuss with Kurt’ list) and him singing a duet with a pretty girl with long brown hair (Judy Garland, eat your heart out), before ending with him doing a split jump while singing _ABC_ by the Jackson 5.

The video ended and the audience yelled their appreciation. The camera returned to Kurt, who groaned out loud before sarcastically adding “I’m so glad someone saved those recordings.”

Jay snickered and made a joke about Kurt’s flexibility that sent another ripple of screams through the women in the studio. Kurt blushed wildly and seemed at a loss for words, so Jay came to his rescue and changed the subject to the new movie Kurt had coming out the next month. A minute later the interview was over and Kurt was done for the evening.

=^..^=

That evening proceeded along the same lines as all of the others since Blaine had arrived, with a quiet dinner, a little bit of reading in the living room, and Kurt saying goodnight and retiring early to watch TV in his room. As the broadcast time of _The Tonight Show_ drew closer Kurt found he was a little restless and couldn’t put his finger on why. It had been a good day and he was about to watch his first appearance on a major late night talk show. What could be wrong? He could hear the sound of Blaine puttering around the house through his closed door and suddenly realized what was bothering him. This was another big milestone in his career, something that would only happen once and there he was, about to watch it all alone with no one to help him rejoice in his success or help him mark the event.

Kurt picked up the remote and turned the TV off with a determined click. He slid a deep purple silk robe over his matching pajamas and squared his shoulders before opening the bedroom door and striding out into the living room. He found Blaine sitting on the sofa, reading something on his laptop. He looked up when he felt Kurt’s presence and sent him a questioning look.

“Will you think me a complete narcissist if I watch my interview when it comes on?” Kurt asked, cursing the slight waiver in his voice.

“What, are you kidding? Of course you want to watch it.”

“Would…would you like to join me?”

“I wouldn’t miss it. I’ll make the popcorn!”

Before Kurt knew it he and Blaine were sitting before the large flat screen TV with bowls of popcorn in their laps. As the show time drew closer Kurt felt more apprehensive. What if he came across as uppity or arrogant? He knew that he sometimes had the tendency to veer into those not so attractive areas and he had been trying to work on it.

The show started and Kurt waited impatiently through the monologue and the interview with the first guest, stuffing his face with handfuls of popcorn. Finally, he heard Jay call out his name and he preened a little at the cheers that erupted when he came on stage. He looked critically at the way his outfit appeared on camera and decided with a satisfied nod that it made the exact statement he had been going for. He watched the interview unfold and was very happy with the way it went. One couldn’t always tell how something was going to come across on tape; Sometimes interviews that felt the best in person came across as dull or stilted when seen through the eye of the camera.

Kurt watched happily until the video montage of his glee performances came on screen. When the video started he sunk down in his seat and buried his face in his hands. “Ugh…Why did I let Lynn convince me to show that? So mortifying.”

“It was adorable. The crowd ate it up.” Blaine nudged his shoulder against Kurt’s supportively.

The interview was over all too soon. Kurt kept the TV on to watch the rest of the show, but more from a desire to not appear completely self-involved than from any real interest in the other guest. As the credits began to role he picked up the remote and turned the set off.

“You did a great job,” Blaine said encouragingly. “Really relatable. You should be really proud. I bet all the other shows are going to beat your door down for interviews now.”

Kurt could feel a blush heating up his cheeks. “They just like anyone who’s willing to humiliate themselves on national television. Oh well, anything for applause, right? Well, I’m off to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

Kurt fled to his room and collapsed against the door as soon as it closed. Bed bugs. Smooth Kurt, real smooth.


	4. Chapter 4

_Young Hollywood Style: Our resident celebrity stylist critiques five of today’s hottest young actors_

_… Last, but certainly not the least fashionable, is newcomer Kurt Hummel. Word around town is that this triple threat doesn’t use a stylist, but you’d never know it from the variety and quality of his high fashion looks. While his style could best be described as ‘eclectic’ he always stays on the right side of too much. From cutting edge knitwear to avant-guard looks from up-and-coming designers to custom suits that do all the right things for his slim body, Kurt isn’t afraid to take a risk. It’s been a long time since I was this excited about the fashion choices being made by a male celebrity and I can honestly say that I look forward to each and every thing he wears. He’s proven that he doesn’t need a stylist, but I’d still like to put this out there….Kurt, call me. I’d love to work with you. — FashionWeekly, September 16th, 2018._

=^..^=

Kurt was so busy over the next two week filming scenes for his new movie that he had reluctantly delayed their shopping trip. Thankfully the rest of Blaine’s belongings had arrived and, while none of his clothes could be considered stylish, they were a little better than the pieces he had worn during his first days in town. Kurt had ordered him a few designer trousers and button-down shirts online, so that he would have something acceptable to wear when they knew they might get photographed. Those would have to wait until they had more time to figure out what Blaine’s style was. The shopping would have to happen soon, though, as Kurt was sure that the stuffed nose he had been experiencing in the mornings was due to an allergy to polyester.

Blaine had accompanied him to the set, but there hadn’t been a lot of time to do more than make polite small talk over coffee at the studio coffee shop. During nights at home Kurt was trying to keep Blaine at a distance, but he was definitely finding it hard given that Blaine was being all…charming. It was no secret amongst his friends that Kurt was an old fashioned romantic who liked classic movies and musicals. Blaine’s demeanor was hitting all the right buttons with him and he was afraid of crossing some invisible line, so he was purposefully being even more detached than he normal would be, at least on the outside. Inside he could feel the pressure building within him as the tension over his potential stalker and his attraction to Blaine grew higher and higher every day. If they had another interaction that involved some form of ‘after you. No after you’ he was going to scream.

After yet another quiet evening, Blaine, who had been on his computer emailing various friends from school and keeping up with others on Facebook, pulled Kurt’s attention away from the latest edition of _Vogue_. “You know, Kurt, you can still spend time with your friends. We can figure out some story to tell them if you don’t want them to know who I am. You don’t have to isolate yourself because of this mess.”

Kurt jerked his hand and cursed silently as the paper sliced into the padding at the end of his index finger. He lifted the injured finger to his mouth and sucked a bit to try and sooth away the small throb of pain. “Oh, no that’s OK. Most of my friends are really busy right now. Filming and stuff, you know. But thanks. I’ll…I’ll keep it in mind.” He returned to his magazine, determine to look nonchalant.

That night Kurt crept under the covers and pulled them over his head, fighting to keep a tear from leaking from one eye. He’d been too embarrassed to tell Blaine that he didn’t really have any friends in Hollywood. Just casual acquaintances and people he knew from work. It took him a while to warm up to people, to let them in enough for them to be friends and Hollywood was best known for fostering shallow, fleeting relationships. He knew it was mostly his fault that he hadn’t really connected with anyone. The opportunities had been there, but he was standoffish and his bitchy tendencies could be tough to take. He’d been really lonely since he’d come to California, with only Bev, Lynn, and the rest of this team for company and since he was paying them, he could never be too sure of their true feelings for him. He missed his girls in New York and Mercedes, who normally lived in L.A, but was on a year-long concert tour as a backup singer. Hell, he even missed Finn, even though he talked to his brother a couple of times a month. He briefly wondered if Blaine could be someone who might see past his walls, to the real him.

Kurt woke up to the sound of his alarm and grumbled to himself when he realized he didn’t have to go to the set that day and could have slept longer. He lay in bed for a few minutes, unsurprised to hear someone already moving about the house. Blaine was a very early riser and was always showered and dressed (still like an accountant, though at least like a well-to-do accountant on vacation now) before Kurt awoke, even on those days when Kurt had an early call time. Realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to fall back asleep, Kurt got up and threw on a pair of (very stylish) yoga-style pants and a loose shirt. After brushing his teeth he wandered out to the kitchen to hunt down some breakfast, only to find Blaine sitting at the kitchen table in front on an open laptop.

“Tumblr?” Kurt asked, looking over Blaine’s shoulder at the computer. “I never really took you for the blogging type.”

Blaine looked up at with an absent smile before turning back to the screen. “Good morning. No, I’m not a blogger. I’ve been monitoring Tumblr and Twitter chatter about you. Bev hired a security company to do official monitoring and analysis, but it doesn’t hurt to have multiple eyes on it. Basically I’m just looking to see if I recognize any phrases or specific language that might point to one of these people being the stalker.”

 Kurt almost didn’t hear what Blaine was saying, he was so caught up in the lushness of his eyelashes (how long would it take to count them? Would Blaine submit to sitting still that long?). Finally he realized Blaine was looking at him as if expecting a response. Kurt mentally shook himself and searched for the correct comment on what Blaine had just said. “I think I’d rather watch Fox News than see what they’re saying about me on Tumblr.”

“Most of it is pretty good actually. Twitter’s the place you really have to watch out for. You’ve got some talented fans out there. Want to see?”

“Hmm…maybe some other time.” Kurt walked into the kitchen and began to search through the cupboards for something to eat. “I can’t decide if I’m lucky or cursed to be an actor in the age of social media. It’s great to be so connected to people, but there’s such a high price to be paid. Having hate delivered right to you, with no way to keep it out… It’s like I’m back in high school and the school bullies are yelling slurs at me again, only this time they’re yelling them so the whole world can hear.”

Suddenly the topic was too much for Kurt. His skin started to feel itchy and he felt like if he didn’t get out of the house immediately he might scream. He shut the cabinet door with a loud bang. “There’s nothing good for breakfast. I’m going to run down to the grocery store.”

Blaine nodded his agreement. “Sounds good. I need to pick up a few things too. How long do you need to change?”

Kurt ground his teeth in frustration. He didn’t want Blaine to go with him. He just needed to be alone for a few minutes. “Never mind,” he sulked, “I’ll just eat a granola bar or something.” He grabbed a bar from the box on the counter and stormed off to his room, slamming the door behind him and taking great satisfaction from the swaying of the picture frame on the wall. He stopped, breathing hard, heart racing. He had to get out of there. The house was stifling and the walls were pressing in on him. He dressed quickly and silently before opening the door again and poking his head out to see if the coast was clear. He couldn’t hear or see Blaine, so he tip-toed down the hallway to the backdoor and pulled it open slowly, hoping that it wouldn’t creak and give him away.

He would have liked to take the car out for a long drive, but he knew opening the garage door would alert Blaine to his escape, so he settled on taking a walk instead. He made his way around to side of the house and was walking towards the front gate when he heard the sound of a throat being cleared behind him. He turned to find Blaine leaning up against the garage door, arms crossed in front on him. Kurt lurched to a stop and held his breath, waiting for the yelling to begin.

Blaine eyed him for a second then reached into his pocket for something. A second later, the garage door opened and Blaine moved to the driver’s side of the car. “Get in,” Blaine said calmly, flicking his head slightly in the direction of the car.

Kurt approached the vehicle warily and slid into the passenger seat, still keeping an eye on Blaine as he buckled his seatbelt. The car backed out of the garage and soon they were on the road. They passed the grocery store that Kurt shopped at, so he wasn’t sure where they were going, but he decided against asking. Local streets turned into city streets and suddenly they were on the freeway. With every mile Kurt felt the tension coiled within him melt away, the repetitive noise of the tires running over the seams in the concrete soothing him and almost putting him into a trance.

Eventually they turned onto the Pacific Coast Highway and headed north towards Malibu. The clean scent of ocean air filled the car and Kurt breathed deeply, wondering how Blaine had known that this was exactly what he needed. He turned his head slightly, watching Blaine as he drove, the air from the open window pulling at his gelled hair and loosening it until a few curls popped free. The curls surprised Kurt. They seemed too free-spirited for the buttoned-down, put-together persona that Blaine put forward. Was it possible that there was more to Blaine than met the eye? Something more than duty and rules and chivalry? If so, Kurt would be very interested in knowing what.

Somewhere between Malibu and Santa Barbara Blaine pulled over to the side of the road at the edge of a deserted beach. He opened the trunk and rooted around until he found the blanket Kurt kept there for emergency situations. He gathered up the blanket and a small cooler (wow, he’d had time to prep a cooler? Kurt really wasn’t very stealthy) and waited for Kurt to join him before stepping out onto the beach. They walked for a while before stopping about 30 feet or so from water. There Blaine spread out the blanket and dropped down onto it heavily before reaching over and taking off his shoes. He stretched his bare feet out into the sand and dug in, making little fists with his toes. Kurt copied him and they sat there in companionable silence for several minutes, listening to the waves crash and enjoying the secluded peace.

Finally Kurt broke the silence. “I’m sorry I tried to sneak out. I-I just…I suddenly felt like an animal caught in a trap and I had to get out or I was going to start chewing my arm off.”

Blaine didn’t answer right away. He pulled his knees in close to his body and wrapped his arms around them, still looking straight out at the water. “I know what’s it like to feel trapped, to feel like running away is the only option, but I need you to know that I’m not the enemy, Kurt. I’ve sworn to protect you and that’s what I’ll do, that’s what I _want_ to do, but I need you to help me. Watching everyone you come in contact with is enough of a job. If I have to worry about watching you too, making sure that you’re doing the things that I ask you too, then I can’t protect you the way I’ve promised to. The way I need to. Things that may seem controlling to you —like not going anywhere without me, not answering the door yourself, or always letting me drive — those things have a purpose and I need you to trust me when I ask you to do them. This thing won’t work without trust. Without it we might as well just call it off right now.”

Kurt considered what Blaine had said and knew deep down in his heart that it was all true. Trust was key, but it was one of the hardest things he could ask Kurt to give. He took a deep breath and unconsciously mimicked Blaine’s body position, pulling his knees in protectively. “I was the only out kid at my high school. I know I’ve talked in the press about how I was bullied, but I gloss over most of the details. It was rough and I learned early on that I could really only depend on myself. I had great friends, don’t get me wrong, but they were all dealing with their own crap and you know teenagers, they’re the definition of self-centered, so I was mostly on my own when it came to the bad stuff. I decided early on that no matter what type of harassment was thrown my way I would always be myself, never let them force me into being someone else, something less. And I was fabulous, if I do say so myself,” Kurt reached up a hand and ran it lightly over his hair in a primping gesture that pulled a smile from Blaine. “But it was only on the stage that I felt truly accepted. It was everything to me and when I got rejected by NYADA I thought my dreams were gone, that I would be stuck in nowhere Ohio for the rest of my life. Eventually my dad and my best friend Rachel talked some sense into me and I went to New York on my own, determined that I was going to do everything in my power to be a success. I guess you kind of know the story after that, but sometimes I look in the mirror and I still see that kid sitting on his bed reading a rejection letter, watching all of his dreams crumble around him.”

Kurt finally fell silent, feeling as if a weight had lifted off of him. It wasn’t much, but it was probably the most he had bared his soul to anyone in…forever.

“High school was rough for me too,” Blaine murmured above the sounds of the wind and seagulls. “I didn’t have the best family life. My parents were…distant… even before I came out. They’re just the kind of people who should never have been parents, you know?” He ignored the sound of sympathy that Kurt was unable to control. “My brother was 10 years older than me, so he was gone by the time I was eight and it was just me after that. I wanted school to be a refuge, a place where I could be myself and have something to look forward to — ‘cause I certainly wasn’t getting that at home — but I was picked on pretty badly after I came out and it got…bad, so I had to leave. There was a private school — Dalton in Westerville — that I wanted to go to—“ he broke off when Kurt made a small noise. “Do you know it?”

“I snuck in there once to spy on their glee club before our Sectionals competition. I didn’t talk to anyone, but it seemed like a good school.”

“Yeah, I thought so to, but my dad thought I needed some ‘toughening up’, so he sent me to military school in Pennsylvania instead. It was tough at first. The school wasn’t actually part of the military, of course, but they went by a lot of the same rules, so I was forced back into the closet at first. Thankfully, ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ was repealed during my junior year and when a few other students came out I got up the nerve to join them and things got better after that. I had some anger issues, so I took up boxing, fencing, martial arts — anything to try and get control of myself. I made some friends and…yeah. Things were good, but I never really got too comfortable, you know? I always seemed to be waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

They watched the ebb and flow of the water for a while, both caught up in old memories. A family with two kids and a dog stopped at the beach for a few minutes and Kurt watched as the little boys ran in and out of the water, singing a round of ‘Row, Row, Row Your Boat.’”

Blaine smiled at their antics. “Are you going to keep singing? I mean, now that your dreams have come true what’re you going to do next?”

“I don’t know. Musicals are really where my heart is, but I don’t want to only be known for that. I don’t know, maybe Shakespeare? Something no one would expect to see me in. And hey let’s be honest, if I don’t play President Kennedy at least once in my career it’ll be a crime. I mean, look at this hair line.”

“True, true.” Blaine agreed with mock solemnity.

“I’m open for almost anything, I think, as long as it’s good. I’ve seen too many washed up actors trying to regain their glory days through reality TV. I need to really make a career out of this.” He paused for a moment. “No horror, though.”

“Why—“

Kurt cut Blaine off with a chop of his hand. “I have a slight vampire phobia.”

“But didn’t I see one of the _Twilight_ films in your DVD collection?”

“I have a vampire phobia, not a sparkling brooder phobia. Besides, I only have that movie because of Taylor Lautner. I had it on my bucket list to sleep with him before he got fat.”

“Oh. I’m guessing you didn’t get to that one in time?”

“Nope, but hey maybe he’ll become a Weight Watchers spokesperson and I’ll get another shot.”

“I’ll think good thoughts for you,” Blaine laughed and crossed his fingers.

Kurt laughed along too for a minute before turning and pulling his legs in pretzel-style. “Blaine… trust doesn’t exactly come easy for me, but I promise that I’ll try my best to make this work. And I know you’re just trying to protect me, so I’ll do whatever you say. Within reason, of course. I mean, I’m not going to wear a Kevlar vest around or anything like that. It would simply ruin the lines of my clothes.”

“How about we both give this our all and just be as honest with each other as we can? Deal?” Blaine extended his hand.

“Deal.” Kurt put his hand into Blaine’s and they shook on it. And if one or both of their hands lingered a bit longer than social accepted for a handshake, well neither one of them commented on it.

The water grew closer as the tide came in and they finally had to either move or risk being drenched by the next set of waves. Blaine rose and held out a hand to help Kurt up before shaking the blanket and folding it over his arm. They walked back to the car silently, though this silence was a comfortable one earned by the cracking open of the doors that each man held his private pain behind. They reached the shoulder of the road and Kurt automatically moved to the driver’s side. Blaine gave him a speaking look and with a dramatic put upon sigh Kurt went around to the passenger’s side (oh well, Rome wasn’t built in a day).

Just before he slid into the car Kurt pulled out his phone and took a photo of the rolling waves. He uploaded the image and sent a quick Tweet.

_Nothing better than a beautiful fall day, the sea air, and a new friend._

=^..^=

That night they decide to go out to dinner. Kurt suggested a trendy place on the water that wasn’t really his normal style, but had been recommended to him by several people.

As they were shown to their seats Blaine noticed a few people looking at them with puzzled looks, as if trying to place where they knew Kurt from. As they passed one table Blaine could hear one of the women stage whisper to her friends “Is that someone famous? He looks familiar. Where do I know him from?”

They ordered their food and talked a little about their common experiences growing up in Ohio, but Blaine was only giving the conversation part of his attention. He was too aware of the whispers that had followed them when they walked in and the looks they continued to receive. Their food arrived and Kurt was just about to take his first bite when a woman approached the table and asked for an autograph. Blaine watched carefully as Kurt signed and listened as she told him how much she had loved his movie. She left clutching her signed napkin and Kurt picked up his fork to again try for his first bite of food.

“So, military school, huh? I wouldn’t have guessed that one.” Kurt said after wiping his mouth on his napkin.

“No?”

“Don’t take this wrong, but I’d say you’re much more ‘Leave It to Beaver’ guest star than drill instructor.”

Blaine snickered into this napkin. “I definitely was never going to be a drill instructor and any military starch that was left after my time in college was driven away as soon as I started working with kids.”

Kurt pressed for details and Blaine talked for a while about how different it was to protect children. After they finished their meals they each ordered a coffee and lingered, watching two sea gulls fight over a piece of bread on the sand below. Kurt dipped a spoon into his mocha and gave a little laugh. “I think the sound of waves is always going to remind me of you now. That and the smell of hair gel.”

“Ha ha. Anyone who uses so much mousse and hairspray is in no position to judge. So, that woman earlier… Does that happen a lot? Getting asked for autographs?”

“Not too often. I don’t think most people know who I am yet. This is kind of a celebrity hotspot though, so I think people are on the lookout here.” Kurt took a sip of his drink and propped an elbow on the table, settling his chin onto his hand. “It’s one of the things I can't get used to about Hollywood. I don’t think anything can prepare you for the whispers that follow when people recognize you. I don’t mind it so much when people actually come up to me and say something. It’s flattering and I’m embarrassed to say I like the attention most of the time, but I hate it when people see me and just start whispering. It brings back bad memories, I think. Then, of course, there’s the other kind of whispering you get a lot of around here— people in the industry gossiping in back corners, passing insider knowledge and out-and-out lies, eager to be seen as 'in the know'. Sometimes I think this whole town runs on whispers. OK, this is depressing. I need some cake or something.”

He looked around for the waiter and snapped his fingers to get his attention. The waiter came over with an overly-polite smile that had Blaine doubting the spit-free nature of the dessert Kurt was about to be served. As the waiter left to fill the order Blaine decided there was no time like the present to address the situation. “Um, Kurt?  Can I talk to you for a minute about that?”

“About what?” Kurt cocked his head questioningly to one side.

“The finger snapping? It’s just…a little rude? I know you’re a star now and everything, but do you think it’s gone to your head a little?”

A look of embarrassment covered Kurt’s face. “I-I’m ashamed to admit that that particular bad habit actually pre-dates Hollywood by several years. It’s horrible isn’t it? I’m horrible. I’ll try to stop, I promise.”

“It’s OK, it’s just… you might not want to eat that cake you just ordered.”


	5. Chapter 5

_Blind Item_

_Sartorial Sydney is by no means the worst behaving guy in Hollyweird, but a waiter at a local restaurant reports Sydney is just plain rude when it comes to his treatment of underlings. Evidently our beloved clothes horse thinks that snapping to get a waiter’s attention is acceptable behavior, but it seems his dining companion took exception and called him on the carpet for his ill-mannered behavior. A big tip was left, which goes a long way to sooth the wounds to the working class breast, but our guess is Sydney had better change his ways before he finds himself on the black list of every waiter in the city. — ReelToReal, September 25th, 2018._

=^..^=

Kurt had been looking forward to a day of location filming, but the day dawned with ominous clouds and by seven o’clock it was pouring down rain and the day’s filming was cancelled. Faced with a suddenly open schedule Kurt pulled out his sketch book and set about finishing up some clothing designs he’d been working on for a while. He hadn’t had much time to work on his own designs since moving to Hollywood and certainly no longer had the need to save money by coming up with his own pieces, but it was something he loved to do. It was almost a kind of therapy, a way for him to clear his head and remind himself about who he really was and where he came from when the glitz and artificiality of the biz became too much.

As he sketched his mind drifted to Blaine. He had learned a little about Blaine’s background, but not enough to get a clear picture. He gave the impression of growing up rich; Not because of a silver spoon attitude, but because no matter how common and uninspiring his clothes might be (Kurt silently renewed his pledge to take Blaine shopping), he just oozed class and old money and Kurt could easily imagine him ordering a drink at the country club. He just had an aura of privilege about him that would probably be there even he was wearing a burlap sack.

By the time Kurt had finished his work his growling stomach reminded him that it was close to lunch time. He wandered out into the living room and found Blaine stretched out on the sofa, asleep. He must have dozed off in the middle of reading, because a book on urban escape and evasion techniques (wow, no wonder he fell asleep) lay across his chest. Kurt gave him a fond look and continued into the kitchen to pop a few ready-made meals into the oven for lunch. Because of his job Kurt found it easier to just order meals through a healthy ready-made meals program that delivered once a week. He missed cooking, but keeping fresh food in the house or finding the energy to cook after a 16 hour filming day was usually too much for him, at least for the moment.

When the food was almost done he set the table and went to get Blaine, who was still fast asleep. Kurt knelt by the side of the sofa and smiled wistfully at how innocent Blaine looked in his sleep. “Blaine…Blaine,” Kurt sang out softly, “Lunchtime.”

Blaine smacked his lips a few times and reached out an arm, which wrapped around Kurt’s waist and pulled him closer. Kurt froze, afraid if he moved a muscle he would either dive onto Blaine like a kid chasing the candy that fell from a piñata or yank out of reach as if burned; Either one would be humiliating. Luckily Blaine rolled in the opposite direction and his arm fell away, ending Kurt’s paralysis. He stood and took a shuddering breath, trying to regain his composure. How typical of him; One day of friendly bonding and Kurt was halfway to a full-blown crush. Why did he do this to himself?

He walked back to the kitchen and waited a few minutes before yelling that lunch was ready and turning on his iPod. As music filled the room Blaine awoke and he stumbled towards the dining room, rubbing his eyes.

“Sorry. Your sofa is super comfortable. I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

“It’s the rain,” Kurt offered as he set the food on the table. “The sound always lulls me right to sleep.”

The rhythmic pounding of the rain and the dimmed light filtering through the low, dark clouds produced an intimate atmosphere that caused them to linger long after their meals were done. Blaine asked questions about Kurt’s time in New York and they talked about favorite plays and movies, surprised by how closely their tastes matched up. To Kurt’s delight, Blaine even confessed to seeing him on Broadway a few months into the run of _Defiance_. Even though it had been years ago, the thought of Blaine sitting out in the darkened theater watching him pour his heart out on the stage gave Kurt a touch of anxiety. For some reason he didn’t feel as exposed when people saw him in the film version. Maybe it was because the process of filming a movie was broken up into small moments. Two lines here, five lines there, sing a verse here, dance a few steps there. While he was still proud of his performance in the movie he didn’t feel the emotional attachment to it that he did the play. He hadn’t left pieces of his soul on the soundstage like he had at the theater. When he met someone who’d seen the play he felt self-conscious, like they had seen him naked and at his most vulnerable. It was the curse and the joy of performing live.

Talk about _Defiance_ led to chatting about Kurt’s movie career and they had a spirited debate about which movie stars, past or present, it would be best to work with. Neither were very impressed with the newest batch of actors that had hit the big time in recent years, so Kurt swooned over Judy Garland, Richard Gere ( _An Office And A Gentlemen_ period, please), and Ryan Gosling, while Blaine leaned more towards Gene Kelley, Cary Grant (Kurt may or may not have snorted at the irony of those choices), and Emma Stone, who had won her first Academy Award the previous year.

Around mid-afternoon the rain stopped and the clouds lifted. Suddenly stir crazy, Kurt felt the need to get outside, if even for a few minutes. He pleaded with Blaine to go for a walk (“Come on, no self-respecting stalker would be out in this weather. There’s no way I would inspire such dedication.”) and Blaine eventually agreed.

The air was clean and fresh and held a hint of autumn crispness, which was a rarity for that part of California. Kurt inhaled deeply and held it in as long as he could, trying to cleanse his lungs of a summer’s worth of smog. There wasn’t much he missed about Ohio, but having four seasons was one of them, and not just because he loved layers and sweaters and turtlenecks. Seeing familiar places redressed by the changing seasons somehow added a little spring to his step and a spark to his soul. In L.A. there was sun, a little bit of rain, and seasonal wind and that was about it.

They had been walking for a while when they rounded a corner and heard a squeal of excitement from the house they were passing. A woman stood on the doorstep holding a flower basket the size of a small car, thanking the delivery man profusely before dropping her face into the multi-colored mix of exotic blooms.

Blaine watched as the woman broke down in happy tears. “What’s the most romantic thing a boyfriend’s done for you?”

Kurt froze, unsure of what to say. This was _so_ not a subject that he wanted to get into so early in their budding friendship. Finally, he decided to just be honest, no matter how humiliating it was. “I-I’ve never had a boyfriend.” He scrambled to continue when he saw Blaine’s stupefied expression. “I mean… it’s not like I’m _inexperienced_ , but… none have really been what you would call a boyfriend, you know? Just guys and…well…yeah. How about you?”

“I’ve had a few boyfriends. Nothing too serious. Nothing lately, though. I’m never in the same spot for long and I’m not into long distance, you know? I can’t think of anything really romantic that’s happened to me. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why none of them lasted very long.”

They took one last look at the woman, who was still standing outside, but now had her phone to her ear and was talking excitedly to someone about her gift. They headed back to the house and Kurt couldn’t help but take one last peek backwards before they were out of sight. Someday that would be him. Someday.

=^..^=

A few days later Kurt’s phone rang and after he mouthed “Lynn” at Blaine he went into his room to take the call. A few minutes later he returned, his face slightly pale and his mouth gaping.

Blaine sat up straighter, all his attention on Kurt. “What’s wrong?”

“Umm…that was Lynn and…and…I’mgoingtobeinPeople’sSexiestManAliveissue.” Kurt spoke at the speed of a tape stuck on fast forward.

“You’re going to have to slow that down a bit for me.”

“ _People_ magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue. Me. In it. Not as _the_ sexiest man, of course, but…yeah.”

“What? That’s amazing, Kurt!”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe this. I’m so excited. I have to call my dad. No, I’ve got to call Rachel first or she’ll kill me. What time is it?” He glanced at the clock and did the quick time zone calculation in his head. “She’s at the theater getting ready for her evening performance. I’ll have to wait until later. Wait no, maybe I shouldn’t call. The magazine people might change their minds and I wouldn’t want to tell everyone and then have it not happen.”

“Why would they change their minds?”

“They’ll see the pictures and notice that my face isn’t symmetrical, my skin’s too pale. They’ll find someone better and —“

“Kurt,” Blaine reached out to grab Kurt’s flailing hands and held them tightly. “Where is this coming from? You’re a probably soon to be award nominated actor. You’re amazing and gorgeous and it’s not surprising that the editors of the magazine noticed. Why can’t you believe that?”

“You know that line from _Pretty Woman_? I think it’s ‘The bad stuff is easier to believe?’ One hundred percent true.”

Blaine reached out to pull Kurt into a light hug, trying hard to keep his professional distance, but failing miserably in the face of Kurt’s defenselessness. For the first time since they met, Kurt didn’t tense at this touch. Ever since their breakthrough on the beach Kurt had seem more relaxed and comfortable with Blaine. It was only now, seeing Kurt open up and engage with him more, that Blaine realized just how closed off he had been before and still was with most people

“Well, I say tell anyone and everyone. Heck, shout it from the rooftops. This is incredible and you need to savor it.” He felt Kurt giggling into his shoulder and pulled back a bit, dropping his arms. “What?”

“Heck? Better watch out there, Blaine, I don’t know if I can take any more of your inappropriate language. What’s next? Dang nabbit? Darn tootin?”

“I guess working with kids for so long has left me with a very sanitized vocabulary. I think it’s part of my charm, though. Hey, did Lynn tell you what section of the issue you’re going to be featured in?”

Kurt walked over to the window, suddenly fascinated with something in the garden. “The Reader’s Poll section. For uh, sexiest hair and eyes.”

Blaine hooted in agreement. “Well, they got that right, didn’t they.” Kurt cheeks flamed wildly and Blaine decided to take pity on him. “Is there going to be a new photo-shoot or are they going to use an old photo?”

“New. There’s a shoot already scheduled for next week.”

“I’ll sync up with Lynn to get it on my schedule.” Blaine paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. “Do you think I’ll get a raise out of this? I mean, protecting one of the sexiest men in the world is a big responsibility and I—“ Blaine broke off to dodge the pillow that sailed at his face. He flopped down on the sofa and placed the pillow behind his head casually, basking in the smile that lit up Kurt’s face.

=^..^=

The ride to the photo-shoot was quiet. Kurt nearly vibrated with nervous energy, a dark denim encased leg twitching against the leather seat, his fingers tapping against the car’s door handle, but he didn’t have much to say. They didn’t have many details on what to expect for the shoot since the photographer was in charge of the set-up and styling, but Lynn, who was riding with them, wasn’t worried since _People_ had a good reputation in the business and took their Sexiest Man issue very seriously.

When they finally pulled up to the warehouse they were greeted by the photographer’s assistant and shown directly into a tiny room where the make-up artist was waiting for them. As she made Kurt up, the photographer, Kyle Absolong, explained that the first set-up was going to be in black-and-white, with Kurt dressed in a sleek designer suit. As he spoke, Kyle kept running his eyes up and down Kurt’s body as if he was trying to imagine him without his clothes on. Blaine wanted to reach over and push him away, but it wasn’t his place to do so; While Kyle was creepy and lecherous, he wasn’t a threat to Kurt. Blaine thought about how situation wouldn’t even be occurring if they had put the boyfriend story out already. Of course, that was probably one reason why Kurt wanted to hold off —having a fake boyfriend would definitely have an effect on the number of men who flirted with him (but then maybe it wouldn’t, since this was Hollywood, after all).

Kurt finished up with make-up and went into the next room to change, leaving Blaine alone with the photographer and his crew. Kurt hadn’t introduced them and Blaine could tell Kyle was dying to know who he was. Blaine was more than happy to deny him that knowledge. He just stood at the dressing room door, a serene expression on his face.

Before long the door opened and Kurt emerged. Though the black suit didn’t quite fit him perfectly the stylist had worked her magic so that from the front it looked like it had been tailored to every inch of his body. It was only when he turned around that Blaine could see the clips and pins nipping the cloth in where needed. He flashed Kurt an innocent look as he walked by before pulling out his phone and snapping a quick picture of how comical it looked (oh boy, Kurt was going to kill him if that ever got out).

Kyle positioned Kurt in front of wall with modern art hanging on it and the shoot began. Blaine watched as Kurt gazed deeply into the camera, giving off a moody, contemplative vibe.

As the day progressed Kyle began to flirt with Kurt more and more. He had evidently decided that Blaine wasn’t a threat and was going all out to try and get Kurt’s attention. He stood close to Kurt between shots, nearly whispering in his ear about the changes he wanted him to make for the next series of shots. He kept approaching Kurt and trying to move him into position with his hands, but Kurt was a pro at flitting away, making small adjustments to put himself just out of reach. Blaine kept a close eye on the situation to make sure that Kurt wasn’t feeling threatened, but Kurt seemed only mildly amused by Kyle’s persistence and kept meeting Blaine’s gaze to communicate silently (“Can you believe this guy? I have hats that flirt better than this”).

The final shot in the suit had Kurt sitting in the backseat of a limo, a pair of eyeglasses dangling from one hand as he gazed soulfully out the window. Kyle took a few final shots and called for the next set-up. As Kurt rose to make a costume change Kyle lightly grabbed his arm and declared (in what he probably thought was a seductive voice) that Kurt was one of the best subjects he had ever photographed and that he would love to see Kurt again for a ‘private’ shoot. Kurt smiled weakly and continued to the dressing room, passing Blaine on the way. “I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit,” he murmured out the side of his mouth as he passed. Blaine had to bite his lips in order to keep a straight face.

The photo crew was buzzing around and moving the lights for the next set-up, so Blaine and Lynn occupied themselves by grazing the craft services table. Blaine was just about to put together a little plate of fruit for Kurt when he saw Lynn, frozen with a strawberry lifted half-way up to her face. She was staring towards the dressing room door with an astonished look, so Blaine pivoted quickly, afraid that something was wrong. From his angle he could see Kurt, half hidden behind a rack of clothes, giving the stylist a big hug. Then he dropped his arms away and strode out the door and suddenly Blaine could see what Lynn had been looking at.

Kurt was barefoot and wearing the tightest black leggings that Blaine had ever seen, topped with a long black and white striped sweater with a wide neck that kept slipping off of one shoulder, making it obvious that he wore no undershirt beneath it. His hair was messier than Blaine had ever seen it, a tousled mass that looked like he might have just gotten out of bed (don’t think about bed, Blaine) that had blue streaks scattered throughout and his eyes were lined in a dark liner that sent an electric shock right to Blaine’s brain (and parts lower).

Though Blaine’s brain was now off sitting in the corner sucking its thumb, it seemed that Lynn at least had recovered some of her senses.

“Kurt, I’m…speechless,” she marveled, joining him on the walk to the set. “I never would have thought it, but the ‘emo’ look works on you. Really well.”

“It’s certainly…different.” Kurt looked around until he found Blaine still standing back by the food table. “Blaine, what do you think?” He leaned up against the wall and struck a dramatic pose. “I suddenly feel the need to listen to some Panic! At the Disco.”

Blaine must have made some sort of appropriate response because Kurt smiled at him and moved into position so that the photographer could begin taking photos again. As he posed against the wall, arms draped over a swinging bar hanging above his head, Blaine couldn’t help thinking of all the other uses he and Kurt might find for that bar (mind out of the gutter, Blaine. Client. He’s a client) He didn’t know how much longer the shoot actually lasted, but as everyone was packing up Blaine gave silent thanks that they had been indoors where there were no strangers around, because he definitely hadn’t been on top of his game.

=^..^=

Kurt had a meeting with his manager and agent the next day to go over plans for what Kurt’s next role should be, so Blaine drove him in bright and early. They stopped at a local coffee shop to load up on caffeine and it only took some light begging and sad puppy dog eyes to convince Blaine that they should take a few minutes to enjoy their beverages inside instead of taking them to go.

Kurt decided he wanted to try something different that morning, so he took a minute to scan the menu sign and didn’t notice when the line in front of him moved. He started when he felt hands lightly clasp his shoulders and a puff of hot air against his ear as Blaine leaned forward to murmur “You’d better move forward or this lady in back of me is going to start a fight. Now that is someone who desperately needs some caffeine.”

Kurt smiled weakly and moved up in line, thoughts no longer on changing up his order. He had always had an invisible wall around him marking his personal space boundaries and most people unconsciously obeyed it, but not Blaine. Blaine seemed to be naturally touchy-feely and ever since the day they’d met he had filled Kurt’s senses with casual shoulder bumps, grasped elbows, and fleeting guiding hands on the center of his back. At first Kurt had been thrown each time it had happened — nerve endings on fire, skin tingling, heart racing, and something within him telling him to flee to safety — but he had grown used to it and now was able to bask in the comfort that those touches offered. It was only when he didn’t see it coming that the sensation still had the capability to overwhelm him.

He let Blaine order both of their usual drinks and settled into a table in the back corner, away from the crowd. “For some reason I always love the ambiance of a coffee shop,” Kurt mused, warming his hands against the sides of his cup. “I always feel like I should be reading Chaucer or Tolstoy while tucked into one of the leather chairs.”

“I always wonder where all the writers hung out before coffee shops. Were they all at bars? Is the stereotype of the tortured, alcoholic writer, being replaced by the hyper, over-caffeinated one?”

“Well, they’ll certainly be more prolific, won’t they? If only because they won’t ever be able to sleep.” Kurt glanced around the room at the tables full of people hunched over their laptops. “I imagine most of these people are screenwriters given our general local.”

“Or students.” Blaine added a sprinkling of sugar to his cup and stirred it briefly with a wooden stir stick. “I spent many a night at the local Starbucks when I was in school. It was a nice change of pace. Military schools are not known for their comfort.”

“Starb…Blaine Anderson I absolutely forbid you to ever bring me coffee from that abomination. If I wanted to taste burnt coffee I’d just stay home and use that sorry excuse for a coffee machine that came with the house.”

Blaine fumbled while trying to snap the lid back on his cup. “It-it was the only place close to school, so—“

“Any port in a storm? If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with?”

Blaine gave a slow smile. “Something like that.”

They soon finished their drinks and were back on the road to Bev’s office. They arrived early for their meeting and were shown into a conference room with several boxes on the table.

“Oh!” Kurt cried, running over to the first box. “Fan mail time!” He flipped the cardboard lid off and took out several stacks of letters. “The agency gets all of my fan mail and goes through it. The good stuff ends up here and I get it about twice a month. They log the return addresses and send back signed photos. The bad stuff…well, don’t know, don’t care what happens to it.”

Kurt spent a while reading through letters of all shapes and sizes, with post marks from all over the world. From many of the letters he removed a photo, which after looking at he added to a growing pile at his side.

“What’s with the photos?” Blaine asked

 “In one of my first interviews I talked about the problems I had in high school and how I wouldn’t let others change who I was.  I mentioned that I used to take a picture of my amazing outfits every day so that I had something to go back to later, proof of how I was doing something they couldn’t take away from me. After the interview I started getting a few photos from kids who’d been inspired to express themselves through their clothes more at school and were taking photos. It must be a thing now somewhere, because I get a bunch of them every week, usually with a story about the outfit or something about themselves.”

Blaine picked up the pile of photos and began thumbing through them, turning some over to read the details on the back. There were pictures from gay boys who were no longer afraid to wear their over-the-top clothes to school and curvy girls who were finally ready to go out in the cute dresses and sleeveless tops they had been secretly keeping in their closets. There were self-proclaimed ‘popular girls’ who had stopped being so concerned with labels and were now trying to dress for themselves instead of for others. There was a boy who had finally been daring enough to wear a dress to school and a few girls who had ditched the usual teenager look in favor of more typically masculine clothes and short haircuts.

And all were giving credit to Kurt for inspiring them to have the courage to make the change.

“Wow, Kurt, this is amazing. All these kids inspired by you.” Blaine fanned the photos out on the table, astonished by the number that had accumulated in only the few weeks since Kurt had last picked up his fan mail.

“Well, look at me.  Who wouldn’t want to be like me?” Kurt struck a pose, lifting his chin in the air and contorting his body inward like the broken stance of a Vogue model.

“Don’t joke, this is something special.”

Kurt dropped the pose and ran his eyes over the photos that Blaine had spread out. “I know. I…I have a board in my closet where I pin up some of the best ones. Whenever I’m feeling a little down or don’t feel like I have the energy to be stylish that day I look at them and…well, they’re a great cure for ennui.”

At that moment the door to the conference room opened and Bev stuck her head in. “Blaine, could I speak with you for a few moments alone?”

Kurt raised his eyebrows questioningly at the request and Blaine just shrugged. He left Kurt to finish with his fan mail and followed Bev across to her office, where she beckoned him to take a seat.

“We received another letter from the ‘overzealous fan.’”

Blaine sat up straighter. “Can I see it?”

Bev slid a piece of paper towards him. Seeing Blaine hesitate before touching it she rushed to reassure him. “This is just a copy. We have the original ready to be fingerprinted, if need be.”

Blaine picked up the letter and scanned it quickly before reading a passage out loud. “’Who’s the new guy, Kurt? I’m hurt that you didn’t call me if you wanted to spend time with someone. I understand you so much better than he ever will. My heart aches to be with you…’ They’re talking about me, aren’t they?”

Bev nodded her head slowly and pushed a photograph across the desk. “This was in the letter.”

The photo had been taken at a restaurant where they’d eaten about a week before. It showed Kurt and Blaine exiting the building, Blaine’s arm curved around Kurt’s back protectively as he moved him towards the SUV a few feet away. The photo was grainy and badly composed, nothing like what he would expect from a paparazzi photo. He was speechless for a few seconds, but quickly regained his professional equilibrium. “You don’t think this was taken by a pap, do you?”

“No, we don’t. They could have gotten it online from some random fan, I guess.”

“Maybe. Or it could mean that the stalker was following us.”


	6. Chapter 6

_Kurt Hummel was spotted earlier this week walking in Santa Monica with the mystery man who the paparazzi first photographed him with about a month ago. Since then, the two have been seen together all over town, from his manager’s office, to the studio where Kurt is filming his current movie, to shopping in L.A., where the two came away from several stores loaded down with bags. The unidentified man is on the short side, dark, and oh, so handsome, but who is he? Kurt my dear, is there something you’d like to tell us?— StarsRUs, October 14th, 2018._

=^..^=

Blaine and Bev told Kurt about the new letter and photo right away. He felt a stir of worry at the news, but the letters had never concerned him like they had Bev, so he tried to push it aside. He trusted Blaine to handle it.

Even if he had been so inclined, Kurt didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on the new developments, as the publicity schedule for his new movie was ramping up. It was only his second film and his first comedic role, so he was anxious for people to see it. He wanted to prove to himself and to his critics that he wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan, that he had a chance at a long term career. He did a few short phone interviews with some smaller online sites, but was thrilled when he was scheduled for a few sit down interviews with two of the bigger magazines.

Ever mindful of Kurt’s time, Lynn was able to schedule both of the interviews for the same day and it was decided that they would meet at a local hotel known for hosting such meetings. The plan was to get there early and find a nice unobtrusive place for Blaine to watch from, but traffic was horrible and they arrived late for the first interview. The writer was already waiting for them in the lobby and watched as they entered the hotel together, talking closely. When he realized that they’d been spotted, Kurt decided to have Blaine sit with them for the interview, but didn’t introduce him. He realized that his omission was like waving a red flag in front of a bull, but he was feeling particularly feisty that day and wanted to see what would happen.

The interview went well and the writer didn’t ask about Blaine, though she definitely did sneak a few glances in his direction. Blaine played his part well, just smiling blandly and sitting silently. Within half an hour the interview was over and the writer left, leaving Kurt and Blaine with just enough time to grab lunch at the hotel’s restaurant before the next interview began.

“So, that didn’t go according to plan,” Blaine commented as he perused the menu.

 “Aren’t you tired of sitting anonymously off to one side and watching me work?”

“It’s kind of what I’m hired to do, Kurt.”

Kurt scraped his fork across his napkin a few times, liking the patterns that the metal pressed into the soft linen. “I know, it’s just…it’s just getting old.”

“Well, what do you want to do? Tell me and we’ll do it. I want you to be comfortable.”

“I just want someone to ask who you are, you know?” Kurt threw the fork down onto the table where it clinked up against his glass. “I’m being rude by not introducing you. Why is everyone letting me get away with it?”

“But we don’t want them to ask, right?”

“I guess. You know what, just ignore me. I’m just in a mood today.”

The meal passed quickly and they finished up the second interview in the same manner as the first, then headed home, but Kurt’s strange mood remained.

=^..^=

“The interviews are out and they’re pretty good.” Lynn handed printouts of two articles over to Kurt a week later. “However…Blaine is mentioned in both of them. Not by name, of course, but they do some subtle speculation on who he is.”

Bev stood up from her desk and moved over to join Kurt and Blaine in the sitting area of her office. “I think it may be time to go public with the boyfriend story, before people start to dig around and come up with theories.”

Bev was looking at Kurt like she expected him to have diva freak-out, but he was strangely relieved. This was what he had been unconsciously wanting the day of the interviews, when he had felt so unsettled. For some unknown reason (right, unknown, can’t you even be honest with yourself, Kurt?) he wanted Blaine to start acting as his pretend boyfriend, but he hadn’t known how to broach the subject. Now his hand was being forced and he was secretly thrilled.

“I guess it’s time to make it official.” Kurt reached over and grabbed Blaine’s hand, pulling it into his chest. “Blaine Anderson, will you do me the honor of being my fake boyfriend?”

“Why Kurt, I thought you’d never ask.” Blaine played along, reaching up with his free hand to wipe non-existent tears from his eyes.

Lynn looked at them fondly. “I’m glad you guys are having fun with this, but we need to get your story straight before we start making any announcements.”

Kurt crossed his legs and let go of Blaine’s hand. He settled back onto the sofa and the careful crafting of their tale of love began. They agreed to stick with the ‘met in Ohio as kids’ angle and also agreed to keep Blaine’s usual cover as a nanny. They wouldn’t make any exact statements as to how long they had been dating, but wouldn’t try and hide the fact that Blaine was living with Kurt.

Once all of the easy details were out of the way Kurt put forward two ultimatums. “First, I’ve decided to tell my family and friends the truth,” he declared, holding a hand up to stop Bev when she would have objected. “I won’t lie to them and I trust them not to sell me out, so take it or leave it.” Bev sighed and nodded her agreement. “Second, no PDA. Maybe a little hand holding here and there, but that’s it. I wouldn’t be all over him in public even if he was my _real_ boyfriend, so that’s out of the question.”

“But think of all the press we’d get,” Lynn protested. “This could mean a lot to you going into awards season.”

“And yet I remain unconvinced.” Kurt reached down and flicked an imaginary piece of lint off of his trouser leg.

A few more minutes of grumbling and the deal was struck. It was decided that the new official couple would make their debut at the upcoming premier of Kurt’s new movie in two days. Bev and Lynn moved across the room to begin crafting plans for the work needed on their end and Kurt turned to Blaine. “If you’re going to be my boyfriend we have _got_ to get you some better clothes. No one will ever believe that I’m dating a man who dresses like an insurance salesman.”

“It’s not like this my personal style,” Blaine said, looking down at his plain light blue shirt. “It’s just been so long since I’ve dressed just for myself that I don’t even know what I like anymore.”

“You’re in luck. I’m offering my services as personal stylist. Make sure to get a good night’s sleep tonight, for tomorrow, we shop.”

=^..^=

Kurt hadn’t been kidding about the need for a good night’s sleep.

Blaine came into the kitchen the next morning to find Kurt cooking omelets, which was more than they typically ate for breakfast. Kurt looked particularly fetching that morning, wearing a pair of black pants with rivets down the outside that looked as if they were made of crystals that hugged every inch of his body and a lightweight red sweater that somehow looked alluring and sexy while covering him completely.

He didn’t know how long he stood there in the doorway looking at Kurt, but he came back to earth to find Kurt staring at him with a question on his face, spatula in one hand, the other on his hip. Blaine searched his mind, trying to recall what Kurt might have said. Oh, right. “Umm, good morning to you to?”

Kurt looked at him as if he had lost his mind and shook his head slightly before gesturing for Blaine to take a seat at the table while he served.

Blaine took a bite and nearly groaned as the flavors burst on his tongue. “I thought we were going shopping today?”

“We are, but we need our protein first. It’s going to be a long day.”

“It won’t take that long, will it? I mean we can just go to Kohl’s right?”

Kurt’s eyes opened so wide Blaine was worried they might pop out of his head. “Hello, have you met me? Do you think for even one second that I’m going to let you get your wardrobe from…” Kurt gave an appalled shudder, “…Kohl’s? I mean, we might get a few pieces from Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus, but I’m sure most things will come directly from the designer’s stores and...” He caught the laugh that Blaine was fighting to suppress and realized he had been had. “Very amusing. I don’t think making fun of the man who is about to set your fashion direction is wise, do you?”

They were just putting away the washed dishes when the doorbell rung, announcing Bill’s arrival with the car. They had decided the night before to take the chauffeured car so that Bill could drop them off and pick them up quickly if they encountered any problems and Steve was also accompanying them since Blaine’s attention would be elsewhere. Blaine grabbed his wallet and Kurt picked up his messenger bag and they were out the door.

Once on the road Kurt got down to business. “First we need to figure out what your style is. How did you dress before you became a bodyguard and resigned yourself to a life without natural fibers? And if you say sports jerseys or rock band t-shirts I’m breaking up with you right now.”

Blaine closed his eyes and tried to picture the clothes he’d worn back in school. “I had to start wearing uniforms just as fashion became kind of interesting to me, so I didn’t have much more than jeans and plain t-shirts for weekends. I guess I kind of dressed that way in college too.”

“Okay, so you had no sense of style. You’re a blank canvas. I can work with that.” Kurt called out an address to Bill as he pulled his phone out and began searching through photos for some ideas.

Blaine could tell from his tone and body language that Kurt was a little more tense than usual.  He knew how much Kurt loved to shop, but it seemed that the combination of the new letter and the start of the boyfriend deception was overshadowing even his anticipation of dressing a life-sized Ken doll. He searched his mind for a way to lighten the mood.

“So, you said no big PDA, but can I call you by an endearment?”

Kurt didn’t even look up from his phone. “Not if you want me to answer.”

“Come on,” Blaine pouted. “What about ‘baby?’ or ‘sweet cheeks?’ No! I’ve got it. ‘Pookey bear’!”

Kurt groaned and let his head fall back against the seat, distracted at last. “If you call me ‘pookey bear’ I will replace every bottle of hair gel you own with Super Glue. I will hack into your email and send positive replies to every message in your spam folder about the latest male enhancement products. I will sign you up on every gay dating website I can find and indicate you’re interested only in ‘bears’ who specialize in spanking. I will…”

“Okay! Okay! Got it. No ‘pookey bear.’” The SUV pulled up to the first store and Blaine hopped out, scanning the street before sticking his head back in and indicating Kurt could exit. They walked to the entrance and Blaine pulled the door open, motioning Kurt inside. Just as the door closed behind them Blaine leaned forward to whisper in Kurt’s ear. “How about ‘snookums?’”

=^..^=

Kurt imagined that in a different world he might have chosen personal styling as a career. It was something he was passionate about and knew he was good at and he was determined to finish the day with a complete wardrobe for Blaine that fit his personality perfectly. He realized that it was a tall order.

His plan was to direct the sales people politely, but firmly, not letting them attempt to distract him with the dregs of the last season’s collection that they were still trying to sell. He knew the current collections backwards and forwards and was sure of what he wanted to see Blaine try on.

The first store they visited was Tommy Hilfiger. Kurt knew that Blaine was unlikely to look right or be comfortable in the kind of cutting edge fashion he himself gravitated towards, so they were looking for classic, traditional pieces. Blaine tried on several different outfits, but they just didn’t feel right.  Too ivy league, too bland, too ‘it’s time to meet Muffy and Spencer at the country club for drinks.’

Next they tried Alexander Wang, but the clothes were much too stark and linear and didn’t fit Blaine’s personality. Burberry was too trendy and the latest Calvin Klein collection proved to be too much denim and completely wrong for Blaine’s body type.

By noon they had only managed to get a few pair of jeans and a pea coat and Kurt could feel Blaine getting a little tired of trying on clothes. To offer him a break Kurt asked Bill to stop at Gucci, where Kurt had a few items he wanted to try on himself. He was a regular customer at the store and the staff knew him (and his spending habits) well, so they shut the store to other customers when they arrived. With the store all to themselves Kurt spent the next hour entertaining Blaine by trying on half of the clothes in the store and modeling them while pretending to be ‘Hans’ a Swedish supermodel character he had created in an improv class he had taken back in New York. ‘Hans’ was a distant cousin of Ben Stiller’s _Zoolander_ character and he was famous for his signature ‘White Titanium’ look, which involved a lot of glaring at the audience. Blaine and the store staff were wildly entertained and Blaine even joined him for one walk down the ‘runway’, posing with him for the fake cameras. It was the silliest Kurt could remember being in years.

As his many purchases were being wrapped up, Kurt wandered over to the scarves and wrapped one around his neck, standing in front of a mirror to see how the fabric looked against his skin.

“I love that one.” Blaine said from behind him, holding his own bag that contained another coat and a pair of gloves. “It brings out your eyes.”

Kurt felt his face flush and ran the end of the scarf through his hands, enjoying the feeling of the silk. “I do love a good scarf. Fall is my favorite season for fashion, even though one can’t really carry off layers in L.A. very well; It doesn’t get cold enough.”

The saleswoman came forward with his bags and Kurt put the scarf back on the table and thanked her, promising to be back when the new collection arrived.  As he walked to the front door, Kurt realized that Blaine wasn’t with him and he turned back to find what the hold-up was. He found Blaine just a few feet away, gazing longingly at a display of bow ties. “Do you actually like bow ties or are you looking at it in an ironic hipster kind of way?”

 Blaine looked up guiltily. “I really like them?”

“Come on, I know where we should go next.”

They exited the store and found their car waiting for them along with a pack of paparazzi, who immediately began yelling and jostling them to get a reaction.

Kurt flashed a fake smile as Steve ushered him towards the open car door. “Smile Blaine, these will be probably be the first paparazzi shots that have your name on them. Wave to the locusts.” Kurt raised his hand and gave his patented ‘Queen of England’ wave. Blaine looked distinctly uncomfortable, but also smiled and gave a quick wave before ducking into the vehicle.

Within minutes Bill had pulled the car up to Brooks Brothers. As soon as they walked into the store Blaine’s eyes lit up and Kurt knew they had found the right place. The first thing Blaine did was walk over to a display of bow ties and look at them like Kurt might look at the newest collection of Vivian Westwood sweaters.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder at the salesman who was approaching them. “Be careful. These stores have a strict ‘you drool, you buy’ policy.”

Blaine didn’t seem deterred by the warning, his eyes still roaming lovingly over each tie. “There’s so many. How do I decide?”

“Let’s start with shirts and sweaters. Then we’ll pick the ties that go best with them.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just get one of each?” Blaine asked hopefully.

“Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it, Imelda” Kurt sighed at Blaine’s confusion. “You’ll be the Imelda Marcos of bow ties. No? Ah, how soon the world forgets. Come on, let’s get started.”

It was a bit of an uphill battle, but Kurt finally convinced Blaine that his style was simple classic pieces mixed with just enough humor to give his wardrobe personality.  They agreed on the basics — polo shirts, pants with rolled up hems, and a few bow ties (especially the bow ties) — but Blaine was more interested in sweater vests than the striped and color blocked cardigans, and a particularly jaunty bowler hat that had caught Kurt’s attention, so Kurt had to work a little harder to get him to warm up to those. Kurt had discovered in the past several weeks that Blaine was very eager to please and usually all it took was a pleading look and batted eyelashes to get him to bend to Kurt’s will. He had promised himself that he wouldn’t exploit this newfound weakness of Blaine’s too often, though, so he went about using other, more typical, methods of persuasion.

After a quick lecture about message cohesion and point-of-view (which would have gone much better if Kurt had had access to his sketches or if Blaine had ever watched _Project Runway_ ), Blaine finally gave in and let Kurt dress him from head-to-toe. He looked a little doubtful when he came out of the dressing room in his first ensemble, but when Kurt compared his new look to that of Gene Kelley, Blaine looked so pleased Kurt thought he was going to break out into song.

Blaine returned to the dressing room to change into a pair of navy colored trousers and a striped cardigan that was so perfect that Kurt swore he’d buy it if Blaine didn’t want it.  Kurt wandered out a bit into the store and picked up a few additional shirts and a jacket for Blaine to try before coming across a display of shoes that would look amazing with the outfit Blaine was putting on. He had a salesperson pull a pair in Blaine’s size and went back to the dressing room to give them to Blaine.

“Blaine, are you decent?”

“Coming.”

Kurt pulled the dressing room door open and stepped inside. “I found these amaz...” He ground to a halt as his brain finally caught up with what his eyes were seeing. Blaine was standing in the room wearing nothing but a tight pair of boxer-briefs, his arms lifted up as he re-hung the sweater on a hanger. “I-I thought you said ‘come in’. I’m sorry, I’ll just…” Kurt turned around and quietly closed the door behind him. He kept on walking until he reached the next dressing room and slipped inside. He closed the door and sank onto the bench in the corner and wondered how long he would have to wait in there for the heat to fade away from his face and the tightness to disappear from his pants. He grimaced as he adjusted himself and said a silent ‘thank you’ that thigh-length sweaters were in that season.

He tried taking a few deep breaths to calm down, but every time he closed his eyes he just saw Blaine again, tight boxer-briefs hugging ever millimeter of his body, the sleek muscles in his back sliding under his skin as his arms reached up above his head. Kurt knew he was going to have to get his burgeoning attraction for Blaine under control or pretending that they were in a relationship was going to get very uncomfortable very quickly. Speaking of uncomfortable…Kurt decided to borrow a page from his step-brother’s book and picture the most unsexy things he could think of to dampen his arousal: socks worn with sandals, mom jeans, animal sweaters, speedos on anyone other than Olympic athletes. He looked down at his lap. Yes, that was working.

“Kurt, are you in there?”

“Yes!” Kurt scowled as the words came out much too high for his liking. “Just trying on a few pieces. I’m almost finished.” He made a few rustling noises with the jacket and used a finger to nudge a piece of hair slightly out of place to give him a more mussed look. He looked himself up and down in the mirror to make sure that nothing…stood out, held the shirts in front of him just in case and took a deep breath before opening the door.

Blaine was standing in the hallway, dressed in the clothes he had arrived in, a half-concerned, half-amused look on his face. He held up the cardigan that Kurt had seen him hanging up earlier. “I think this is too big. I need a smaller size.”

“Of course. I can’t believe the salesman isn’t back here to help you with that. I’ll go track him down. He needs to do better if he wants to earn his commission.” Kurt gave Blaine a blinding smile and moved to brush past him into the store.

“Kurt, do we need to talk about —“

“No no no. No talk. I’m good if you’re good. Nothing to talk about here. I just…hey, salesman!” Kurt nearly ran after the man he’d spotted walking towards the front of the store, anxious to escape Blaine’s need to talk things out.

The salesman located the cardigan in the right size and Kurt handed the shirts and jacket he was carrying over to Blaine before ushering him back to the dressing room, thankful that Blaine didn’t recognize them as the garments Kurt had been pretending to try on earlier.

The rest of their time in Brooks Brothers went quickly. Kurt had to talk Blaine down from buying a few items (he still firmly maintained that the holiday themed bow ties on display had been there for ironic effect only and were not meant to actually be purchased), but all-in-all things went smoothly and Kurt stayed far away from the room where Blaine was changing. The number of garments that were a ‘yes’ grew and grew until it seemed like they were buying at least half of the current season’s looks.

Next they made their way to Tom Ford, where they bought exquisitely cut trousers, finely woven button-down shirts, and cashmere sweaters so soft Kurt wanted to curl up in them and take a nap (but of course he would never treat a piece of clothing so poorly as to do that). They also purchased a few classic Tom Ford suits that had rendered Kurt speechless when Blaine came out of the dressing room to model them. Blaine was measured by the in-store tailor, so that one could be readied right away for the premier the following night. Kurt would have normally liked to oversee the taking of the measurements to ensure that the suit was going to be tailored the way he liked, but he thought it best to stay far away from any situation that would put him in the position of thinking about Blaine’s inseam.

After the tailor finished with his measurements Kurt attempted to pay for the clothes, but Blaine told him not to worry, he could afford them. Kurt protested that they were for the job and he should pay, but Blaine insisted, saying he needed the clothes anyways and he was already getting the free services of a great personal stylist and what more could he ask?

After making the commissioned sales people very happy, they returned to the SUV, packages in hand. As they waited for Bill to stow all of their purchases in the back, Blaine, who was wearing one of his new outfits, kept craning up to catch a glimpse of himself in the rear view mirror. His happy smile as he straightened his bright red bow tie was enough to make Kurt swoon.

“I was going to suggest changing your hair, but that style kind of works with this new look. What does it look like without all the gel?”

“Like a poodle got electrocuted,” Blaine grimaced, his hand going to his head protectively.

“Hmm…I’m sure it can’t be that bad, but we’ll leave it for now.”

Reassured that his hair was now safe from a make-over, Blaine leaned back against the seat and sighed. “I can’t believe how much work that was. It must be exhausting to do this all the time. Why do you do it?”

“Fashion is the only art you can take with you on a daily basis. It’s self-expression, aspiration, and inspiration all made up of little pieces of cloth. I think it’s amazing. Besides, in most animal species it’s the males that are the beautiful, fancy ones and the females that are the drab ones, but in humans it’s the opposite. How is that fair? I’m just doing my part to even things out.” He glanced down and saw that Blaine wasn’t wearing any socks with his new boat shoes. “Oh, we forgot to buy socks. We can go back…”

“No, that's ok,” Blaine said cheerfully, holding up his leg so he could look down at his bare ankle. “I like it this way.”

“Of _course_ you do.”


	7. Chapter 7

_We admit that the trailer for the upcoming_ Fall Forward _, which has its premier tonight in L.A., really has us hooked. With its all-star cast and positive buzz, it’s expected to perform well at the box office and we think we might first in line on opening night. Of special interest in the cast is Kurt Hummel, in only his second big screen appearance. Finally we’ll get the chance to find out if he’s the real deal or a one-hit wonder who should stick to singing and dancing. Advanced word is good and says his comedic performance will show us a brand new side of our Broadway baby. We’re actually glad that he decided to do a comedy for his second role.  Maybe now we can get the haunting image of him crying in the middle of that abandoned train station out of our heads. Of course, with_ Defiance _expected to be a major player in the upcoming awards season the image won’t be gone for long._ _—TheMovieInsider, October 15th, 2018._

=^..^=

Steve, Kurt’s official bodyguard, accompanied them to the premier, so some of the pressure was off of Blaine. His main job that night was to help sell the boyfriend story under the microscope of the entertainment press. The SUV pulled up to the red carpet and Blaine held his breath as a shiver of nerves rolled through his body. He couldn’t believe that he was about to walk out in front of the entire press corps and try and convince them that he was dating a movie star.

Kurt must have recognized his apprehension, because he reached over and gave Blaine a quick pat on the hand before moving up and squeezing his arm. “Deep breath. The gauntlet awaits.”

Though the movie was opening in the typically slow month of October, it had some major stars in it, so a big crowd and a long line of press were gathered outside. Kurt’s role was a small one, but the popularity of _Defiance_ had garnered him a loyal fan base, so the screams were loud when he first stepped from the car. When Blaine stumbled out after him it was obvious everyone was caught a bit off-guard. There was a slight recession of the noise level as the sight of Kurt with another man on the red carpet sunk in and then, in an instant, the air was filled with frantic yelling from the gathered photographers.

“Kurt! This way Kurt.”

“On your left, on your left”

 “Who’s the guy? Are you two dating?”

The light from the flash bulbs was disorienting and blinding and Blaine suddenly understood why so many celebrities wore sunglasses, even at night. It was for sight preservation, not pretention. He was still trying to blink the burned out parts of his vision away when he felt a hand on his elbow and looked over to find Lynn trying to herd them down the red carpet to the next act in the circus: the TV news crews. As they made their way, Blaine reached out and took Kurt’s hand (stipulated as acceptable in Kurt’s PDA rules). He felt Kurt stiffen for a second before he relaxed into it and gave Blaine’s hand a little squeeze.

Kurt bypassed the more obnoxious members of the press and went right for one of his favorite reporters, who had done his first on-screen interview and had always been really nice to him. Lynn had wanted him to do a few more interviews on the red carpet, but Kurt only wanted to tell the story once and felt offering an exclusive would allow them better control of the story.

“Kurt Hummel, you are looking particularly dashing tonight,” Brenda Baxter, the reporter for HotHollywoodDish declared, only sending one quick side-glance Blaine’s way before giving Kurt all of her attention.

Kurt sketched a quick curtsy. “Why thank you, dear lady. I always say you can’t go wrong with Christian Siriano. I was so happy when he opened up his men’s line.”

Brenda asked Kurt a few questions about the movie, but it soon became impossible for her to ignore the fact that Kurt was still holding Blaine’s hand. “So Kurt, I can’t help but notice you have someone here with you tonight. And a very handsome someone, if I may be so bold.”

“Oh you may.” Kurt pulled Blaine in a little closer and wrapped an arm around his waist, giving Blaine a smitten smile. “This is my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson. It’s his first red carpet, so be gentle.”

“Boyfriend? Wow! That’s so great. It’s nice to meet you Blaine. What do you think about all of this hoopla for your fella here?”

“He deserves every bit of it.” Blaine looked up at Kurt with a love-struck look that came a little too easily for his comfort. “I’m excited to finally see the film.”

Brenda moved a little closer to the men to try and cut off the possibility of any other reporter listening in on her interview. “So, how long have you guys been dating?”

“We’re old friends from Ohio and recently reconnected. I was so happy when he agreed to move out to California. I can’t believe how lucky I am.” Kurt pulled Blaine’s hand up to his mouth and gave it a quick kiss. Though Kurt’s lips only touched his hand for a brief second, Blaine felt a sensation that reminded him of the time he had eaten boysenberries and discovered he was allergic when his entire mouth had begun to tingle until it had finally gone numb.

“Are you an actor too, Blaine?”

Blaine pushed thoughts of his still tingling hand aside to concentrate on the interview. “Oh, gosh no. I’m a nanny, actually. Not working at the moment, though. Just settling in and getting the lay of the land before I decide what I want to do.”

Lynn gave Kurt a signal that it was time to move on, so they wrapped up the interview and he promised Brenda that they would talk again soon before they continued towards the theater doors.

Blaine leaned a little closer to Kurt in the guise of brushing a wrinkle from his jacket. “Um…laying it on a little thick, weren’t you? And the kiss on the hand? Isn’t that outside your defined PDA boundaries?”

Kurt stopped for the next group of photographers, keeping a tight hold on Blaine’s hand to keep him in the photos. “Couldn’t help it. I was inspired. It’s called improv. Go with it.”

“So you’re allowed to break the PDA rules?”

“Of course, since I’m the one that made them.”

Kurt paused for a few more photos, but didn’t stop for any more interviews, so it didn’t take them long to get inside. The director of the film came up to say ‘hello’ and Kurt let go of Blaine’s hand to give her a quick hug. Blaine had never really been much of a hand-holder in the past, but he now found that he was missing the feeling of Kurt’s hand in his. The connection had been both comforting and grounding amid the chaos of the red carpet.

Before he had time to examine those feelings a little closer the ushers came through indicating the movie was about to begin. They found their seats and the lights dimmed. When Kurt’s character appeared about an hour into the film Blaine heard Kurt take a deep breath and hold it. As soon as the audience laughed at his first line he exhaled and relaxed a bit into his seat. Blaine reached over to pat his hand, which was resting on the armrest, and Kurt surprised him by taking hold and not letting him go. They stayed that way for the rest of the movie.

=^..^=

Unlike some actors, Kurt loved seeing himself on the screen; In fact, he reveled in it. Though his part in the movie wasn’t extensive, he had several key scenes and was ecstatic to hear the audience laugh hard in all the right places. When the movie ended and the lights finally rose again in the theater Kurt bounced up and down in his chair excitedly. “That was good, right?  I wasn’t just imagining it?”

“The movie was good.  You, on the other hand, were great. People are going to be so surprised by what you can do, Kurt.”

Kurt felt a glow spread out from his chest to engulf every inch of his body and he wondered if it was possible to be too happy, too contended. He reached over and grabbed Blaine’s hand and pulled him up from his chair. “After party, here we come!”

Kurt’s great mood dimmed a little, as he was soon reminded that Hollywood parties were not the casual gatherings of close friends that he was used to in New York. As he and Blaine entered the elegant party space next to the theater Kurt looked around, instantly sizing up the people gathered in the room and placing them into one of two categories: People who would spend the evening trying to suck up to him and those he should suck up to. He couldn't remember the last time he had spoken to someone at one of these things who hadn't wanted something from him in one way or another.

It wasn’t like he had enjoyed big parties to begin with. A couple of friends gathered for a good lady chat was more his speed. Even a dinner party with one or two new people was fine. But a room full of people he didn’t know, but was expected to interact with? Torture. All he wanted to do was stand in the corner or better yet walk around with a trash bag and clean up, anything to be occupied, but no, he had to mingle and hob nob. It was as much an exercise in acting as anything he ever did on the stage.

After running the gauntlet of hangers on hoping to catch the eye of someone important that usually hugged the doors at such events, Kurt and Blaine made it into the heart of the party. The music was loud, the decorations predictable but attractive, and, despite the fact that the bar had only been open for 20 minutes, it was obvious that some people in the crowd had already had too much to drink.

“May I have this dance?”

Kurt turned to find Blaine with his hand outstretched, beckoning him to the dance floor. He hesitated just a moment before extending his hand in return. “Why yes, kind sir, I’d love to.”

The song was a slow one and Blaine gathered Kurt in his arms and swung him out into the crowd of dancers already on the floor. From the looks on people’s faces it was evident that the news of their relationship had already spread.

“Everyone’s watching,” Blaine murmured in his ear as they moved to the music and weaved in and out amongst the other couples.

“They’re probably hoping we’ll do something noteworthy that they can leak to the press after the party.” Despite the gains that had been made in equality and attitudes towards gays in Hollywood, Kurt was under no illusion that a scandal involving him and his newly minted boyfriend wouldn’t be relished by certain people in the industry.

“I’d hate to disappointment them, how about you?”

“And just what did you have in mind?” The sly look on Blaine’s face made Kurt suspicious.

“Nothing major, don’t worry. Just something to lend support to our story, but just to warn you, I don’t think we covered this in the PDA rules.”

“O…kay?”

Blaine’s arm tightened around Kurt’s waist as he pulled him closer. “Ready?”

When Kurt nodded Blaine tilted him back slowly, lowering him down into a deep dip, his arm supporting Kurt solidly. Blaine held him there for a minute before bending down until their faces were close together. Kurt held his breath, sure that Blaine was about to kiss him and despite their anti-PDA agreement he knew he wasn’t going to do anything to stop him. Blaine met and held Kurt’s gaze, his honey-colored eyes dark and rich in the dim light of the dance floor, then leaned even closer. Kurt closed his eyes and…felt a tickle as Blaine rubbed their noses together Eskimo kiss style. Kurt opened his eyes and saw that Blaine was wearing the sweetest smile he thought he’d ever seen on someone’s face. Kurt grinned back, lost in the moment. And then it happened. He forgot where they were and who they were and reached his head up until their lips met.

Blaine’s lips were dry against his and his surprise was evident in how his mouth opened a bit with a gasp of surprise. It took him only a second to acclimatize himself, though, because his arms tightened even more as he leaned Kurt a little deeper into the dip and tilted his head to the left, bring their lips into better alignment. The kiss lasted for only a few moments before Blaine pulled back, breaking the contact.

“Do you think that was noteworthy enough?” Blaine whispered.

And the moment was gone. Kurt landed with a thud back in reality and he gave a quick nod before Blaine lifted him back up to a standing position just as the song ended. Blaine asked if he wanted to dance again, but Kurt feigned an interest in mingling a little instead, needing to separate a little from Blaine in order to bring his heart rate back under control. He couldn’t believe he had done that. It had been one of the chastest kisses he had ever had, but it had still been wildly inappropriate (and wonderful. And sweet. And surprising). He really needed to get his head examined.

“So was that some more of your improv?” Blaine asked as he linked his arm with Kurt’s.

Kurt cleared his throat and racked his brain for what a nonchalant expression look like, because he needed to put one on his face immediately. “Some of the best acting decisions are made on the spur of the moment. I just felt the sudden intense desire to make everyone in this room envy me. And I think it worked,” he said holding one hand straight up at the edge of his mouth and speaking out of the other side, making a joke out of his statement.

Kurt introduced Blaine to most of his co-stars and they spent the next half-hour being photographed in different combinations. Everyone was interested in hearing about the new couple and Kurt found he didn’t really mind their prying so much.

“…Wow Kurt, congratulations. He looks like a real catch. Better hold onto him tight, there are some real predators here tonight who’ll steal him away if given half a chance.”

“…I hear you guys knew each other from back when you were kids. Did you date back then? Were you secret teenage lovahs?”

“…So this is…sudden. How long did you say you’d been dating again?”

“…I’ll admit, I’m surprised, Kurt. I always thought you were frigid.”

Well, that last one might have stung just a little bit.

Finally recovered from the kiss, Kurt had the buffet table in his sights and was taking Blaine in that general direction when they were waylaid by a man that Kurt vaguely recognized as a producer, but whose name he didn’t know. The man grabbed Blaine by the arm and tugged it urgently.

“You’ve got a great look about you, son. Are you going for films or television?” Blaine shook his head and opened his mouth to answer, but the man kept going, obviously not looking for an actual response. “You’ll need to do something about those eyebrows first, though. I’ve got the name of a great esthetician, if you need a recommendation. Hey, Randy, I thought it was you…” The man ambled off, chasing after an actor who had rushed past while trying to avoid eye contact.

Kurt stifled a laugh at Blaine’s dismay. “Aww, honey you have a fan.”

Blaine ran a protective hand over his eyebrows and looked after the man with a considering look in his eye.

“Oh no, don’t you start too,” Kurt exclaimed. “I’m so happy to know someone out here who doesn’t have a plastic surgeon on speed dial. Don’t go all self-conscious on me now.”

Kurt didn’t think it was any wonder that Blaine had caught the producer’s eye. Not only was he extremely handsome and dreamy, he stood out in the crowd due to his almost constant expression of earnestness. In the midst of the cynicism of Hollywood it was bizarre and a bit startling, kind of like seeing a dog walk on its hind legs.

Kurt schmoozed for a while, making it a point to talk to several writers, directors, casting agents, and producers. He was truly excited to speak with some of them and for others he had work a bit harder, but he had the part down pat by this point (dishonest compliment here, fake enthusiasm there). He saw Blaine looking at him strangely a few times, no doubt bewildered by his behavior, but when in Rome and all that.

Kurt sent Blaine off to get him another soda and was searching for an empty table when he caught a glimpse of a tall man with red hair out of the corner of his eye and tensed. No, it couldn’t Giles, could it? He wouldn’t dare show up at Kurt’s premier. Ugh, of course he would. The man turned and upon spying Kurt pushed his way through the crowd until he was standing next to him.

“Kurt!” Giles cried in an overly loud voice that was sure to get attention and pulled Kurt to him for a dramatic double-cheek air kiss. “It’s so good to see you again. You were fantastic in the movie.”

“Why are you here?” Kurt hissed, shrugging to remove Giles’ hands from his shoulders.

Giles cast a glance around them and when he found no one else standing close he leaned in, lowering his voice. “You may have these people fooled that you’re a real actor, but someday soon they’re going to come to their senses and I’ll be there, waiting to swoop in and catch their attention.”

“The only thing you’ll be catching is a venereal disease. This is my premier. Get out.”

“Now, now, you’ll want to keep your voice down. It wouldn’t do for any of these nice people to think that we don’t get along. After all the cast of _Defiance_ was just one big happy family, right?”

A photographer came up beside them and motioned for them to step together for a picture. Kurt did his best to fake a smile while replying under his breath to the repulsive man who now had an arm around his shoulder. “Yes, and you’re the creepy cousin that everyone makes sure stays far away from their pets.” The photographer moved away and Kurt immediately shrugged Giles’ arm away. “Watch out, Giles. I don’t care if people find out that I hate your guts. I’m a Tony winner who was the stand-out performer in my first film and is being mentioned as a possible Best Supporting Actor nominee. Who are you? The bit player whose only line in a song was cut from the film because it wasn’t good enough? The guy who had to sleep with the casting director to even get that part? Which of us do you think would be hurt by rumors of tension?”

“Watch your back, Hummel. You may be top dog right now, but the seasons change fast in Hollywood and soon you’ll be out on the curb like yesterday’s garbage, which is fitting, given the way you dress.”

“Well, we can’t all be dressed by the stellar designers at Sears, can we?”

Giles stepped closer threateningly and Kurt wasn’t ashamed to admit that he felt a little flare of relief at the sound of Blaine’s voice.

“Kurt, is everything OK?”

The scowl on Giles’ face disappeared in an instant, replaced by what was probably supposed to be a charming smile, but just came off as a leer. “Hey there. Well, aren’t you yummy? I haven’t seen you around here before. What say you and I find a drink and a quiet little corner and get to know each other better?”

Kurt wound his arm through Blaine’s and snuggled into his side. “Blaine, honey, I’d like you to meet Giles, the most horrible excuse for a human being I’ve had the displeasure of meeting in Hollywood. Giles, this is my boyfriend, Blaine, who wouldn’t touch you with a penicillin soaked pole.”

Giles’ charming façade collapsed. “You think your shit don’t stink, don’t you Hummel? You’d better not turn your back on me or you’ll regret it.” He stepped forward, fist clenched and lifted to chest height…and found his arm suddenly gripped so tightly it made his face pale and a vein protrude in his neck.

“Walk away. Now. Or the reporters outside will have something very exciting to report on tomorrow when I throw you head first into the fountain outside. Maybe they’ll even get a good shot of that cupid statue peeing on your head.”

Kurt had never heard Blaine’s voice so deep, so threatening, so…hot.

Giles yanked his arm from Blaine’s grasp with a little bit of difficulty and gave Kurt a glare hot enough to burn a hole in Teflon before stalking off into the crowd.

“Good friend, I take it?” Blaine asked, reaching over to pick up the glass of soda he had hastily set onto a nearby table.

“Former co-star, middling talent, and overall evil personified is how I prefer to refer to him.” Kurt tried doing some deep breathing techniques he had learned in his yoga class to bring his heart rate back under control.

How dare the man who had tried to sabotage his work on _Defiance_ , who had told lies and spread rumors in order to try and get him fired, show up at his premier just to get free publicity. Kurt wiggled his jaw back-and-forth slightly to try and relieve the throbbing caused by his clenched teeth and felt a headache begin to spread up the back of his skull. Even with the amazing image of Blaine flexing his muscles as he held Giles’ arm tight in his grasp fresh in his mind, Kurt was unable to get back into his earlier good mood. He wished he was a little kid again and could lie on the floor and throw a tantrum to relieve all of the built up pressure.

He hadn’t yet regained his equilibrium when another man approached, this one someone he vaguely remembered meeting at another event.

“Hi Kurt, I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Robert. Robert Cayhill? We met at that EOnline party a few months ago? Anyways, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed your performance tonight. You were so funny and…well, I just wanted to tell you how great you were.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.” Kurt tried to be gracious, but it just wasn’t the right time, so he started to walk away, pulling Blaine with him slightly as he went.

Robert hurried around in front of them, stopping their progress. ““I just…I heard you were working on a new movie and I was wondering if, well, if you have any advice for someone looking to move into films? I mean, do you know if they’re still looking—”

“Look, Robert, was it? Robert, I do have a bit of advice for you. There is one phrase I think you need to practice over and over until you perfect it. Are you listening? Good. It’s ‘Do you want fries with that?’” When Robert just stared at him blankly Kurt continued, misplaced contempt oozing from every pore. “It’s the most useful phrase for people in the food service industry, where I’m sure you’ll be a big success. Now we were just going, so if you’ll excuse us.”

Kurt turned and walked away swiftly, every fiber in his body screaming at him to get out of that room, away from the possibility of seeing Giles again. When he got into the hallway he looked back and saw Blaine watching him with a mixture of dismay and disappointment. “What?” he asked angrily.

“Am I missing something? Because that guy seemed perfectly nice and you tore into him with…That was vicious, Kurt.”

“Oh, please, the man was a bit player on a Disney Channel show. The Disney Channel, Blaine. I don’t know how he even got in here.”

“Disney Channel, HBO, or school play, what you said to him was just wrong. I guess…I guess I expected better of you. Maybe displays like that are why you don’t seem to have many friends here.” With that Blaine pulled out his phone and called for the SUV.

Kurt felt his throat tighten up and a pain steadily moved up behind his eyes as they prickled with suppressed tears. He knew he had the tendency to say hurtful things when he was upset, but he had been trying hard to change that. Now in just a few seconds he had ruined all his hard work by channeling Santana Lopez in all her Lima Heights Adjacent glory. Where had that even come from? He’d hurt the feelings of a guy who’d done nothing wrong besides having the misfortune of trying to talk to him after Giles and he had disappointed one of the few people whose opinion mattered to him. Now that Blaine had seen the ugly side of Kurt would he even want to be friends anymore?  How had the evening deteriorated from such a wonderful beginning? Had he ruined everything?

=^..^=

Just as they were about to get into the SUV Blaine saw that something across the street had captured Kurt’s attention. There, waiting behind a barricade erected earlier by the police, was a group of fans holding banners and large pieces of poster board. As soon as they recognized Kurt they cheered and held their signs up high. As Bill opened the back door for them to enter, Blaine settled his hand lightly on Kurt’s back to guide him and turned to ask Steve if he’d had an opportunity to scout out the crowd. Suddenly the feeling of Kurt’s suit jacket under his hand was gone and he turned to see Kurt jogging across the road towards the now screaming fans.

Blaine ran after him, careful to keep the fear off his face, trying to look the part of the supportive boyfriend. He was only a few seconds behind Kurt and arrived just as he started signing autographs. Kurt moved swiftly down the line until he was stopped by one woman who looked as if she was about to cry. Blaine heard snippets of what she was saying, something about being Kurt’s biggest fan and running an online fan club for him, but he was too hyper-aware of their surroundings, looking for sudden movements from the crowd and listening for squealing tires from the street, to pay much attention. The woman finished talking and Kurt reached forward to give her a quick hug. At that moment Blaine saw red and it was all that he could do to keep from throwing Kurt over his shoulder and carrying him back to the car.

Instead, he stood a bit closer to Kurt and pasted a smile on his face that was so painful he was sure he was doing some kind of damage to his muscles. Kurt finished up the autographs and waved goodbye to the small crowd before heading back to the SUV. Blaine helped him in and jumped in after, careful not to look at him until the car was on the road.

It took only a few minutes for Blaine’s temper to erupt. “What the hell was that?” he yelled.

Kurt glared at him sullenly. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Don’t play dumb, Kurt. Don’t you _ever_ run do that again. Anyone could have been over there! The stalker could have been there with a gun or a knife and I wouldn’t have been able to do much to protect you.”

“Fame isn’t worth it if you have to live in a glass box.” Kurt’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Blaine softened, his anger draining away like water in an unplugged bathtub. “You don’t have to live in a glass box. Just…be sensible. Come to me and we can figure things out together, but please, please don’t ever leave me standing there again, worrying that I’m about to see you attacked before I can get to you.”

The rest of the ride back to Kurt’s house was silent. It was the first time that Blaine had seen Kurt really angry and he was having trouble reconciling this new Kurt with the one he had been living with for over a month. Of course, Blaine wasn’t too proud of how he had handled the situation either, making that crack about Kurt not having any friends. He should have kept his cool and now they had both said things that night they didn’t mean. The encounter with Giles had set Kurt off, that much was obvious, but Blaine knew there must be something more to the story than just co-starts who disliked each other. He’d give Kurt some time to cool down and try and broach the subject later.  They just needed time to talk.


	8. Chapter 8

[HotHollywoodDish video – Kurt Hummel red carpet interview]

Did he just say boyfriend? Did that really just happen? What is air?

I’m in a glass case of emotion!!!!! Our bb has a bf - I just can't...

They are sooooo cuTE together. Blaine is beauuuutiful [Emma_Stone_crying.gif]

*dead*

Childhood friend? *whelp* It’s so great Kurt has someone who he can trust loves him for him and not his fame. My fan girl heart is overflowing

Send help

Don't mind me I just have a tree in my eye or something

I hereby designated myself a Klaine-stan

Can't breath. Somebody hold me

*angels singing*

So who’s writing the smut for this?

=^..^=

Kurt wanted to explain to Blaine why he had run off the night before, but he found he didn’t quite know himself. He locked himself away in his room for a while and thought hard on the subject while drowning his feelings in half a cherry cheesecake (he was choosing to forget the whole kiss situation for now, since he only had _half_ a cheesecake). By the end of the afternoon all he had accomplished was watching eight classic _Project Runway_ episodes and consuming thousands of empty calories. He pushed his plate away and flopped back dramatically on the bed. When he’d looked across the street and seen those fans, some of them waving signs with his name on them, he’d been struck with an overwhelming need to be with them, to be around someone who didn’t want his help with their career, who wasn’t using him for publicity. He knew they only wanted his presence, a kind word, or maybe an autograph and suddenly he need that positive validation more than anything.

The run in with Giles had affected him even more than he thought. He could practically still feel his blood boiling as he remembered the day that one of the producers of _Defiance_ had called him into his office and told him that there had been an accusation that Kurt had sexually harassed one of the extras on set the week before. The charges were, of course, unfounded and no one truly believed them, but it was a tense three days until it had all been cleared away. When a few rumors on the same subject popped up a few weeks later Kurt tracked them down to Giles, who had been after Kurt’s role since day one. After that, Kurt had pulled his only diva move on set and demanded that he not have to work with Giles directly in any scenes. The director had agreed, which had resulted in Giles’ role being reduced and an enemy for life had been made.

Kurt knew he was extremely lucky that no hint of the lies had reached the press, since that was exactly the kind of thing that could nip a promising career in the bud, but that didn’t make him any more likely to forgive.

The fact that that dirty backstabber, that Benedict Arnold, that...Eve Harrington wannabe would dare to show up on Kurt’s big night just to get some publicity made Kurt want to…well, Kurt was against violence, but he wanted to do some damage, that was for sure.

He didn’t blame Blaine for getting angry — for either the incident with Robert or for Kurt running off to meet the fans. He regretted that Robert had come up to him at just the wrong moment, when he didn’t have control of himself, and that Blaine had been there to witness his poor behavior.  And running across the street on his own had been a stupid thing to do, especially after he had promised he would follow Blaine’s instructions.

The fight had been unpleasant and Kurt certainly didn’t want to repeat it, but it had, in many ways, been a revelation in the way he saw Blaine. There had been a fire in Blaine’s eyes, an anger in his voice that Kurt had never witnessed before. He had still been in control, but on the edge of showing Kurt more of the real person that was locked away behind the slick and collected façade he presented to the world. It was the first time he’d seen Blaine be anything but cool, calm, and perfect and he found he kind of liked Blaine better for it. And for Blaine to get that angry, it at least meant that he cared, right?

Kurt made a mental note to have Bev get Robert’s phone number so that he could apologize and to check with his agent to see if there were any parts that were just coming available that Robert might be right for. Making that plan made him feel a little bit better and he had finally worked up just about enough courage to face Blaine, but there was one thing he wanted to get out of the way first. He had been ignoring his buzzing phone since the night before, but he knew without a doubt that there was one specific message waiting for him. He keyed his password in and thumbed through his unread messages, bypassing those from Lynn or Bev for the time being, until he got to the one he was looking for.

_I know it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to tighten our bond with an amazing duet or rousing game of Don’t Forget the Lyrics, but we are still best friends and I am shocked and not a little hurt that I had to hear the news about your new boyfriend from the internet. I have, however, decided to be magnanimous and forgive you, but you now have 12 hours to call before I fear that irreparable harm is done to our friendship. P.S. send pics soon, he looked super cute on the red carpet <3 _ _— Rachel_

Kurt read the message with a fond smile and checked the time to make sure he had a chance to catch Rachel before she left for the theater. He dialed her number and wasn’t surprised when she picked up after the first ring and didn’t even give him the chance to say anything before she jumped in.

“Kurt Hummel, I cannot believe that you didn’t tell me about Blaine!  My cast mates read about him online before I did and I didn’t hear the end of it last night. I think they’re starting to doubt we’re really friends.”

 “Rachel, Blaine’s not exactly who you think he is.”

“He’s not an incredibly sexy man who looks like he stepped out of one of your classic romantic movie fantasies?”

Kurt could picture Rachel with her hands on her hips, wearing one of the too-short skirts with too-tall socks he had never been able to completely talk her out of wearing. “Well…yes, he is that, but he’s not my boyfriend.”

“But…the interview. You said…“

Kurt proceeded to fill Rachel in on the situation, from the initial talk with Bev to the latest letter. Surprisingly she let him get it all out and didn’t interrupt once. When he was finished he sank onto the edge of the bed, drained but relieved it was all out.

“But he’s gay, right?”

“And why does that matter?”

“Because it’s obvious you like him and from watching that interview last night I think it’s possible he likes you to. You _do_ you like him in that way, right?”

Kurt flopped back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling as if it held the answers to the secrets of the universe. “I…I…maybe?  You know me, put an inappropriate or unattainable guy within 20 feet of me and I’ll develop a full blown crush on him. I need to be smarter this time.”

“Smart is good. I’m all for being smart in situations like this, but along with your propensity for crushes on unsuitable men I also know that you tend to overthink things — which is yet another thing that proves we’re platonic soulmates, by the way. Remember what you told me when broke I up with Brody and was convinced I was going to be alone forever and I suggested that we get married and start popping out artificially inseminated children? Maybe you should take some of your own advice. Just let it be and don’t get ahead of yourself. Great things are going to happen for you if you just give them time.”

“Have I told you lately how much I miss you?”

Rachel’s voice softened over the phone line and Kurt could clearly picture the look of love in her eyes. “I miss you to. You’d better visit me soon or I won’t be held responsible for my actions. Now I’ve got to go or I’ll be late. I expect weekly updates, though.”

“Good luck tonight. Break a leg.”

“It’s only the chorus. I could _literally_ break a leg and I’m not sure anyone would even notice, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

=^..^=

Kurt finally emerged from his room in the late afternoon and Blaine knew he was going to have to say something to break the ice that had momentarily reformed over their relationship. They couldn’t go on like that from a professional standpoint, but almost as importantly, Blaine didn’t want their friendship to be permanently damaged. Things had been going so well and he had been amused (and a little aroused) at Kurt’s improv moments and he wanted to get back to that ease they had developed.

He heard Kurt move around the kitchen and wondered if he was baking again, a stress-relieving habit he had that Blaine found both delicious and dangerous to his waistline. Soon the air began to fill with the tantalizing scent of curry and Blaine followed his nose out of his room to see what was on the menu. He found the table set elegantly with two place settings and two tall pillar candles waiting to be lit. He tentatively took that as a good sign and continued in to the kitchen, where he could hear Kurt moving around.

When he entered the room all he could see was Kurt’s amazingly toned butt, highlighted to perfection in the tightest jeans known to man, poking out from behind the fridge door as he bent over to put something back inside. Blaine stopped in the entryway and cleared his throat to announce his appearance.

Kurt’s head appeared from behind the door as he gave a start at the noise. “You’re early,” he exclaimed, breathlessness pushing his voice a little higher than usual. “Dinner won’t be ready for a few more minutes.”

“You cooked?”

“Yes, I do know how to cook more than omelets. I’m excellent at it, as a matter of fact.” Kurt puffed his chest out a bit and lifted his eyebrow haughtily, an effect totally ruined by the oven mitt decorated to look like a penguin that covered his right hand.

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t. I think you are probably good at everything you try.”

“It turns out I’m not so great at dealing with feelings churned up by obnoxious ex-co-stars,” Kurt closed the fridge and moved over to the counter to wipe it down with the cloth that had been lying there. He kept his eyes on his work and didn’t make eye contact. “I was a jerk. To you and that Disney Channel kid.”

“Robert,” Blaine reminded gently.

“Yeah, Robert. I let Giles get to me and I took it out on him and when you called me on it I just…I’m not at my best when I’m upset and I’m really sorry. I’ll never knowingly put myself in danger like that again, I promise. I swear on my vintage McQueen scarves.”

“No! Not the scarves!” Blaine mocked gently.

“Yes, and that should tell you just how sorry I am. Nothing messes with my McQueen.”

Blaine felt his heart warm at Kurt’s worried expression. He could see how upset Kurt was about their fight and how anxious he was to put things right again. “Kurt, can we talk?”

Kurt looked a little apprehensive, but nodded and followed Blaine to the table, finally pulling off the oven mitt and laying it beside him.

Blaine joined him at the table and hooked his ankles around the legs of the chair, needing that extra bit of anchor, of connection. “Well, first…first I’d like to apologize for what I said last night after Robert left. You were obviously upset and said things you didn’t mean and instead of trying to figure out what was wrong I went ahead and did the exact same thing. I let my anger get the best of me and I’m really sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” Kurt reached over to lay his hand on top of Blaine’s. “You weren’t wrong, you know. I don’t have a lot of friends out here and my tendency towards bitchiness when I’m upset is probably one of the reasons. And I was definitely upset last night.”

“Can I ask why? I mean, Giles seemed like a giant tool, but am I missing something?”

Kurt told him about Giles and the problems he had caused during the filming of _Defiance_. By the end Blaine was glad he didn’t know where to find the other man, because if he did he might not have been responsible for his actions. They then proceeded to talk through the rest of the drama from the night before. Kurt apologized for the incident with the fans and Blaine pleaded, once again, for Kurt not to put himself in danger. This time however he capped his plea off with “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. Please, please don’t make me find out.”

They talked until the kitchen timer went off and the heavenly smells emanating from it finally registered.

“Is that Indian food I smell?” Blaine asked, peered hopefully towards the kitchen.

Kurt pushed back his chair, slipping the penguin mitt back on. “I used to live above an Indian restaurant in New York that had the most amazing curries. I did some repairs on the owner’s car once and she repaid me by teaching me a few secret family recipes.”

“Kurt…you had me at curry.”

=^..^=

Interest in the new couple from the media exploded as soon as information began to leak out of the movie premier that Kurt had shown up with a date. Lynn responded to all the requests for interviews with a short statement she had prepared, but that of course wasn’t enough for the giant entertainment gossip machine. In the days that followed Blaine noticed a surge in the number of paparazzi that tailed them whenever they ventured out in public. Fortunately, none of the photographers (if you could call them that) seemed to have figured out where Kurt lived, but Kurt and Blaine were easy enough to track once they left Bev’s office, the studio, or any other number of places that could be staked out.

When they noticed they were being photographed they made sure to slip into ‘boyfriend’ mode and put on a little bit of a show. After the first few times Kurt had laughed and said that Blaine’s natural gallantry already put most real boyfriends to shame, so all it took was for Blaine to let his hand on Kurt’s back linger a bit longer, for them to look a little deeper into each other’s eyes when talking, or for Kurt to look a little starry-eyed when Blaine held the door for him, in order to have everyone fooled.

By mutual unspoken agreement they didn’t discuss the kiss at Kurt’s premier, each happy to pretend that it had just been part of the act. And if Kurt’s eyes sometimes lingered a bit too long on Blaine’s lips or if he had a tendency to slip into a daydream about the feeling of Blaine’s arm wrapped tightly around his back, well, he was hurting nobody but himself.

Kurt was amazed at how natural the whole situation felt and he knew he was in danger of believing his own lie. The fake relationship he and Blaine were cooking up was a little too close to what he had always dreamed of for himself and he didn’t want to become one of those actors who couldn’t tell the difference between the role and reality. He had already seen a few on-set relationships, forged in the intimacy of the script or the closeness and isolation of shooting on location, fail as soon as everyone returned to the real world. That was a trap he wasn’t interested in falling into.

=^..^=

After an early morning appointment with Bev, Kurt and Blaine were heading back to their car, arguing back-and-forth good naturedly about whether modern art was really art (Kurt said ‘yes’ and Blaine remained unconvinced) when Blaine put out an arm and stopped Kurt in his tracks. Kurt followed Blaine’s gaze to his car, which seemed to glisten oddly in the dim light of the garage. Scraps of paper were stuck all over the surface, fluttering in the air that was being circulated by a giant fan in the garage wall.

Blaine immediately asked Kurt to move back inside the elevator lobby while he investigated. Kurt reluctantly agreed, but declared he would be watching out the window, his finger on the 911 speed dial. Blaine wanted to argue, but the mulish set of Kurt’s jaw told him he would be wasting his breath. He approached the car slowly while searching for any signs that the vandal was still in the area. There seemed to be no one around, so he got closer to the car and took a few pictures using his phone. Swirled all over the body of the car was a thick, amber colored substance that looked like… Blaine leaned forward a bit and sniffed at a pool of the goo gathering above one of the windshield wipers. Yep, someone had poured honey all over the car. Stuck in the honey were 20 or so pieces of paper the size of his hand that looked like that might have initially been placed so that they stood up vertically, but were now sunk forward brokenly.

Carefully not to touch anything directly, Blaine pulled the pocket square from his jacket and used it to lift up the corner of one of the drooping pieces of paper. He was unsurprised to find Kurt’s smiling face staring back at him — a copy of the same photo that had been included in the letter from the stalker. He lifted a few more of the papers and found a few different photos taken of them outside the restaurant as well as others that included just Kurt. On the trunk of the car he found a note in pink letters that read _I love you because you’re sweet like honey_.

Blaine called Bev and they talked for a bit on whether or not to call the police. It kind of seemed like an over-reaction — there didn’t seem to be any lasting damage and the vandalism could even be written off as a prank — but if it was an escalation by the person writing the letters the police should be made aware in case something ever went to court. They finally agreed to call the authorities and Blaine joined Kurt in the elevator lobby to wait for someone to arrive.

Because of cases like that of Rebecca Schaefer, an actress who had been murdered on her doorstep by a deranged fan in the 1980s, the police in Hollywood and the surrounding areas took threats to celebrities very seriously. Within 20 minutes a police car had arrived and a detective was taking photographs of the car. The police had already been informed of the disturbing letters Kurt had been receiving, so the detective was quickly able to connect the vandalism to that case by the photos. By noon the car was fingerprinted, the photos removed, and Bev had already had her assistant, Kellie, make an appointment to have the car cleaned.

Footage from the garage security camera showed a figure dressed in jeans and an oversized hoody with the hood up approach the car about 15 minutes after Kurt and Blaine had arrived. The honey was poured and the photos placed in just a matter of minutes and then the figure slunk off, never once giving the camera a clear view of their face. In fact, it wasn’t even clear if the figure in the video was that of a woman or a smaller man.

The building’s security manager made a copy of the footage and gave it to the detective, who left with a promise to log the information in their file in case it was needed later.

Bill arrived to take them home and they left Kurt’s car in the garage to be taken off to be detailed later. Once back at home, Kurt tossed his messenger bag down on a table by the front door, careful as always not to scratch the leather or gouge the table with the metal buckle on the strap, and went into the living room to collapse onto the sofa. “Well, that was fun. I don’t know whether to feel violated or relieved it wasn’t something worse.” He leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling before letting out a sharp laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Blaine shrugged out of his jacket and draped it neatly over Kurt’s bag to prevent wrinkles.

“Nothing. It’s just not the first time I’ve been the victim of vandalism. This actually kind of seems on par with the tee-peeing of my high school choir room and the lawn furniture nailed to my roof.” He swiveled his head around to look at Blaine, who was still standing by the door. “Am I wrong to not be overly worried about this? I mean, I’m not really getting dangerous vibes from honey and a message telling me I’m sweet, you know?”

Blaine decided being honest was the best path forward. “I think what we’re most concerned with is that this person somehow knew you were in the building and knew which car was yours.” He watched Kurt pick up a pen from the table and twirl it in his fingers, a nervous habit he had seen him exhibit on several occasions.  “Look, do you want to go somewhere? Do something? I can get Bill back here.”

“I-I think I just need to be here for a while, you know? Regroup.”

Blaine nodded and joined him on the sofa as Kurt turned on the TV for a distraction. They watched a corny game show for a while before Kurt finally gave up and turned it off. “Okay, I changed my mind. I do want to see what people are saying about me on Tumblr. The good stuff, I mean.” Kurt waved a hand vaguely in the air.

“Are you positive? I mean, some of it can be a little…extreme.” Blaine wasn’t sure it was the best idea. Some of the people on Tumblr, no matter how good their intentions, could take things a little far.

Kurt looked resolute. “Show me.”

Blaine had two Tumblr accounts set up; One to follow the friendly blogs and one to watch the…not so friendly ones, so he logged into the good account and brought up a dashboard that was filled with pictures and writings about Kurt and the character he had played. He scrolled through so that Kurt could see, stopping every once and while to click off to a link or a longer post.

“I feel like I'm reading another language,” Kurt commented, looking at the screen with a furrowed brow. “What's a ‘Klainer’? And why would a picture of me make someone’s ovaries explode? That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Klaine is our couple name. I kind of like it.”

“Of course you do, you got almost all the letters,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

“Hey! It’s better than the alternative.”

“I so would have broken up with you if people started calling us Blurt,” Kurt cackled.

Blaine scrolled some more until Kurt stopped him on a set of photos cropped to show just his eyes and another set showing his butt. Kurt read through the notes that were commenting on the wonder that was his rear end and smiled. “Hmm…they’re not wrong, you know. Those pants do make my ass look spectacular. Quick, can you send this one to my phone?”

“What? Why?” Blaine asked, his finger hovering over the mouse button.

“I want to go through my closet and match my pants up with the photos, so I can make note of which ones the fans consider winners in the ‘ass ‘ category.” Kurt paused and put a thoughtful finger up to his lips. “Do you think the pants that aren’t featured make my ass look sub-par or did they just run out of room to include them all?”

Blaine shot him a disbelieving look. “I can’t tell if you’re joking right now or not and it’s kind of scaring me.”

“Joking, joking. Maybe. Seriously though, mail that to me,” Kurt said as he mimed clicking the mouse button.

They spent the next 20 minutes looking through various posts, Kurt face burning at most of what they found. At one point they stumbled upon the blog of a _Defiance_ super-fan who had blogged links to several pieces of fan fiction featuring Kurt’s character, Drew. Despite Blaine’s warning, Kurt decided to read through a couple of the shorter stories.

“I didn't realize women were so interested in gay porn. I think they may know more about it than I do, which is pretty humiliating.” Kurt moved the mouse over to another link on the page. “What’s this one—?”

“No Kurt, don’t—“

“Oh. My. God. This is about us. I mean the real us. You and me and…is-is that position even physically possible?” He cocked his head to the side and his eyes lost focus as he tried to figure out the physics. “I’m never going to be able to look a fan in the face again without picturing them reading this, am I?”

“I’d say you should choose to be flattered. They’re really happy to think that you found someone to be with. Plus, it’s probably not every actor who’s described as having…” Blaine peered at the screen to find a good quote, “’A body so slender and nubile, so pale and beautiful that he wouldn’t have been out of place on Mount Olympus, with a member so long—’”

“All righty then!” Kurt clapped his hands together and stepped away from the computer. “On that note I think it’s time to take a break! How about a snack?”

Kurt retreated to the kitchen followed by the sound of Blaine’s laughter and popped a few scoops of the cookie dough he had made and refrigerated earlier in the week into the oven. When the timer went off he slipped the cookies onto a plate and settled onto the couch next to Blaine, sucking a bit of melted chocolate off his finger.

“So what made you want to become a bodyguard?” Kurt held out the plate of cookies and Blaine took two.

“I really didn’t see myself going into the military and I didn’t particularly have any talents or passions I thought I could make a career out of, so after high school I went to college thinking I’d get a teaching degree, maybe work with kids. Just before I graduated, one of my old instructors from high school contacted me. He was starting a private security firm and wanted to recruit me for the child protection division. It sounded challenging and the pay was good, so I sign on. It was never anything I saw myself doing, but it’s been good and I really like working with the kids. Plus, most of the work is outside of the U.S., so I’ve gotten to travel a lot too, which is nice.”

Kurt swallowed a bite of cookie and reached up to wipe a crumb off of his lips. “I’m sorry that I took you away from them. You must be itching to get back.”

“No, this is good. I had just finished up an assignment where I was protecting a brother and sister and they weren’t exactly little angels, so I was kind of looking for a break. I’ve had some good kids, though. Want to see?” Kurt nodded and Blaine jumped up and ran to his room, returning with a small photo album. “I started keeping a scrapbook during my first job. A few of the kids aren’t represented— I always ask the parents if it’s okay to put the kids in here and some don’t want a record that they hired a bodyguard — but most of them are here.”

He handed the album to Kurt, who opened it and began flipping through the pages. “Wow, there must be, what, 12 of them? So many!”

“I tend to get the shorter assignments — when one of the parents is on a dangerous temporary job assignment or during elections, that sort of thing. We have other people on staff who take the longer term jobs.”

“Did you ask for that or…?” Kurt paused on the photo of a little girl with red curls who had always reminded Blaine of the main character from _Annie_.

“I volunteered. I don’t really have any family or other relationships that mean I need to stay in one place. I’m good with being a nomad. I get bored staying in one spot too long.”

“Oh.” Blaine thought Kurt’s voice sounded a bit subdued, but when he looked over Kurt was smiling, so he must have imagined it. “I guess I’m kind of a nomad too, now that I’m a movie actor. I mean, I live here, of course, but movies shoot all over the world so I expect to be gone a lot, out on location. I was kind of thinking it’d be nice to get a pet — a dog or a cat — to have someone to come home to, but if I’m going to be gone for months at a time I don’t think it’d be fair. Someday, maybe.”

=^..^=

Kurt and Blaine spent about half an hour going through the scrapbook, with Blaine describing each kid and telling a few funny stories. They had reached the end and Kurt was just about to hand it back when a few photos fell out from the back. Kurt picked them up and he knew that he would recognize that face anywhere.

“Is this you?” He held out the photo of a young boy, around age eight, sitting on a plaid bedspread in a room with dark green walls, holding a small toy robot.

“Yeah. Gosh, I haven’t seen that photo in forever. See those,” he pointed to the robot he was holding, as well as several others that lined the shelf behind him, “my grandfather collected those for years and every year at Christmas he’d give one to me. He died the year after this picture was taken and he left me his whole collection.  I really loved those things.”

“Do you still have them somewhere?”

“No,” Blaine’s eyes were shadowed with regret and a touch of anger that was only made more evident by the tensing of the muscle in his jaw, “my parents got rid of everything I didn’t take with me to military school. I guess the robots were donated to charity or something. But I guess it’s just as likely that they threw them away.”

Kurt didn’t know what to say. His room back in Lima was still mostly as he had left it when he went to New York and he couldn’t imagine either his dad or Carole being so callous as to just dispose of his things without telling him. Blaine hadn’t told Kurt much about his parents, but the fact that they would do that, and to things left to him by his dead grandfather, said a lot and Kurt was slowly creating a very sad picture of what it must have been like for Blaine growing up. Before he could come up with something to say that didn’t sound like an empty platitude Blaine was changing the subject.

Blaine stood up and took a few steps towards the kitchen. “I’m kind of feeling like popcorn. Want to make some and watch TV?”

Realizing that Blaine didn’t want to talk about his parents, Kurt nodded and pulled out his tablet so that they could pick a show to watch. He scrolled through the list, but Kurt was reluctant to suggest most of the shows that were in his queue because he was slightly embarrassed at how much reality TV he watched.

As the list of shows scrolled by Blaine pointed at the name of the umpteenth _American Idol_ rip-off to come along since the original had sailed off into the TV cancellation sunset. “I can’t stand that show.”

“Me neither,” Kurt vowed. “It’s over-produced, the contestants have no talent, and the judges don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“I know! It’s the worst.” Blaine paused for several seconds. “Want to watch it and make fun of the singing?”

“Absolutely.”

Blaine went into the kitchen to make the popcorn as Kurt connected his tablet to the TV and got an episode queued up. When Blaine came back with the popcorn and drinks they settled in and Kurt decided it was time to be honest. “I have a confession to make. I love reality TV. The trashier the better. Screaming housewives, diva designers with no talent, semi-famous families capitalizing on the nation’s appetite for fake drama and self-destructive behavior?  It kind of feeds my soul.”

“I haven’t seen a lot of the more recent ones since I’ve been out of the country, but yeah, I’m kind of right there with you.”

They shared a conspiratorial grin and Kurt reached for the popcorn bowl as the show started.  He realized it shouldn’t surprise him that he and Blaine shared similar tastes in television programs. After all, they liked the same foods, the same magazines, and most of the same music. While Kurt felt a greater connection to things of a sartorial nature, Blaine was proving to be more interested than Kurt could have ever hoped (he‘d been thrilled when Blaine had taken the initiative and done some online shopping, giving final approval to Kurt, of course. Kurt had happily reviewed the items with a sense of pride probably not unlike a parent watching their child take their first steps). They even had similar tastes in sports. Blaine liked football and martial arts and Kurt liked…well, they couldn’t have everything in common, could they?

Kurt thoughts were interrupted when Blaine reached for a handful of popcorn from the bowl in Kurt’s hands.  He snatched the bowl up and held it just out of Blaine’s reach. “Hey, get your own.”

“Better be nice to me or I’ll tell the media what kind of TV you like to watch.”

Kurt shoved the bowl at him with fake urgency, spilling a bit in the process. “I’d probably get my SAG card taken away.” The opening credits of the show ended and the host came on the screen to give an overview of the upcoming performances. “Yes! Let the hate-watching begin.”

The first contestant’s biography video began playing, documenting her life struggles, which as far as Kurt could tell were that she hadn’t been born rich and a natural blond. The piece ended and she took the stage to sing her first song, decked out in an outfit that looked like somebody had taken a weed whacker to an old 1970s pantsuit (not vintage, which implied a certain quality and stylishness, just old). Kurt was not impressed. “That outfit offends me personally. I really try not to be so judgmental, but she's making it so hard.”

Singer after singer hit the stage and by the half-way point they had thrown almost as much popcorn at the screen as they had managed to eat. They held nothing back in their criticisms — style, voice, song choice— it was open season and Kurt couldn’t believe how much fun he was having. Some of their criticisms were saved for the judges, though, who seemed to think every contestant was looking good and sounding even better.

 “The judges are being too easy on them,” Blaine said as yet another tone-deaf competitor was given positive comments. “They’ll never learn if they don’t get honest feedback. The judges need to stop being so nice.” Kurt snorted into his soda and sent him a side-eyed glance. “What?”

“Just the irony of _you_ saying someone is being too nice struck me as funny, that’s all.”

“I can be mean.”

Kurt let out another snort, but this time Blaine chose to ignore it.

The final singer came on the stage and Blaine commented that it was evident from her painfully current pop princess looks and overly earnest biography video that she was not going to be good. He was right.

Kurt chewed slowly on a mouthful of popcorn and glared at the screen. “There was a girl named Sugar in my glee club who sounded like a cat in heat was trying to mate with an out-of-tune violin.  Sugar was better than this girl.”

Unfortunately Blaine was taking a sip of soda at that moment and scrunched his face at the burning sensation the soda caused when it went up his nose as he laughed. “Wow Kurt, if they’re ever looking for a mean non-British judge on a reality show you should totally go out for it.”

“Mm…it’s good to have career options.”

=^..^=

Halloween arrived the week after the incident with the car. They had been invited to Heidi Klum’s annual party the weekend before Halloween, but Kurt had begged off, saying he was in even less of a party mood than usual. He and Blaine had spent the evening watching _Bringing Up Baby_ and _A Philadelphia Story_ instead as Blaine tried to convince him that Katharine was the superior Hepburn (Kurt had refused to budge in his complete and utter devotion to Audrey, but had reluctantly conceded that Katharine might have been the better actress, which Blaine counted as a win).

Halloween morning dawned sunny and just crisp enough to remind everyone that the calendar would be switching over to November the next day. Kurt had the day off, but they had no plans other than to hibernate with the best of Johnny Depp’s costume spectaculars (they had agreed on _Edward Scissorhands_ , but Blaine was pushing for _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ , while Kurt’s vote was for _Alice in Wonderland_ ). Blaine knew that Kurt was feeling a little melancholy about the holiday that year. He had mentioned earlier that when he was growing up in Lima one of his favorite things to do had been to hand out candy and see all of the costumes that the kids wore. There hadn’t been trick-or-treaters in New York, of course, but now that he was in a house, Kurt admitted to feeling a little bit of nostalgia for those days.

Blaine was trying to think of a way he could make Kurt’s Halloween at least a little bit like it had been in his childhood.  They couldn’t open the gate to trick-or-treaters though, and even if they did there probably wouldn’t be any anyways given the neighborhood, but there had to be something else they could do. He was browsing the internet, looking for some ideas, when a Facebook entry caught his eye. A former co-worker who had recently retired to Long Beach had posted that his neighborhood was having a Halloween block party and that people should stop by if they were able. Blaine made a split second decision and did a quick search for costume shops that would be able to deliver something on such short notice.

Kurt was in his room Skyping with Bev, who was in New York with another client, so Blaine picked up his phone and made a quick call to see what costumes might still be available. The options were limited though, given that he needed costumes that would cover their faces and were even remotely something that Kurt would be willing to wear. He did the best he could and agreed to a delivery time.

Two hours later the costumes arrived and Blaine set the box containing Kurt’s on his bed while Kurt finished up his shower after a late afternoon workout.

“Was that someone at the gate? Did someone stop by?” A puff of shampoo and skin cream scented air preceded Kurt into the living room a little while later.

“I have a surprise for you and I hope it’s a good one. I found us something to do tonight and I ordered costumes. I don’t quite have the connections you do, so I’m afraid I had to make due with normal costume shop choices. Yours is in your room already.”

Kurt looked intrigued, if a little wary, as he headed back to his room and Blaine waited for his reaction.

“Blaine, is this some kind of joke?” Kurt voice filtered down the hallway.

“Umm…no?” Blaine called back, cringing a bit at Kurt’s (totally expected) reaction.

Kurt came out carrying a large wad of green fabric. “Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”

Blaine grinned innocently and cocked his head. “That depends. Do you think it’s a Gumby costume?”

“Yes.”

“Then it is what you think it is.”

“Blaine.”

“Hey, look on the bright side. It’s guaranteed that no one will recognize you. And, at least I kept the Pokey costume for myself.” He reached into the box at his feet and held up an orange costume complete with horse’s head. Kurt gaped at him, looking from the costume in his hands to the one in Blaine’s. With every passing second that went without a response Blaine became less and less confident in his plan. He was just about to apologize for the stupid idea and agree to watch _Alice in Wonderland_ in penance, when Kurt gave the biggest sigh known to man and turned towards his room.

“I hope you appreciate the momentous nature of my agreeing to this. Also,” he looked back over his shoulder with narrowed his eyes, “there will be no photos and none of my friends had better ever hear about his or I’ll pour out all your hair gel.” He reached his room, but Blaine could still hear his good-natured (or at least Blaine hoped it was good-natured) complaining. “Gumby. He lives in a city of movie studios and hundreds of professional costume shops and he wants me to dress up as Gumby.”

Two hours later they arrived in Long Beach and found a place to park not far from the block party. They would have gotten there sooner, but Blaine had spent an extra 20 minutes driving a strange and circuitous route to make sure that they weren’t followed (Kurt had felt it necessary to sing the _Pink Panther_ theme when he realized what Blaine was doing). After Kurt’s car had been vandalized, Blaine had rented a new one for them to use when Bill wasn’t driving them. Since the stalker now knew what kind of car Kurt owned they had decided it was best to switch things up, as least for the short term. Another plus was that the new car had tinted windows that were just dark enough that it would be hard for anyone outside the car to recognize either one of them.

They each donned their costume heads before exiting the car and made their way down the sidewalk towards the sounds of _The Monster Mash_ , awkwardly bumping into each other several times as they got the hang of walking in their cumbersome outfits. The party was in full swing by the time they arrived, with tiny princesses, superheroes, monsters, and other assorted creatures wandering in and out of various booths that had been set up in a neighborhood park.

Most of the adults were in costume too, so no one looked twice as Kurt and Blaine melted into the crowd. They participated in a cake-walk set to _The Addams Family_ theme song and Kurt won a dozen cupcakes decorated with little tombstones and bats for being the last person with a chair. They grabbed a couple of cakes to nibble on and set the others in the area set aside for storing prizes until people were ready to leave. They ate homemade candy corn and little corndogs shaped like fingers and a green punch that was being billed as ‘Witches’ Brew’ while carefully tucked behind a tree where no one would see their faces. After eating they got roped into manning the Fish Tank booth and Kurt helped the little kids throw a fishing line over a cardboard wall while Blaine waited on the other side to attach a prize to the end of the string. Kurt was keeping his voice pitched slightly lower than his normal distinctive speaking voice, but Blaine could still hear his amusement as he celebrated with each child as they unhooked their cheap carnival-style prize from the line. As Kurt laughed with one child who was particularly excited about the doll he had received, Blaine had the sudden thought that there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do in order to keep Kurt feeling that happy.

After their shift at the Fish Tank was finished they watched a group of grade schoolers do a not half-bad version of the _Thriller_ dance before moving off and bidding fast and furious on various items in an auction of baked goods that was going to help pay for some playground equipment to be added to the park. The auction ended and Kurt was still basking in his triumph over Spongebob Squarepants and Abraham Lincoln in the bidding on a particularly appetizing looking apple pie when the speakers roared to life announcing that the dancing was about to begin.

Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand and pulled him towards the other couples who were already lining up and Blaine was again slightly surprised at the enthusiasm Kurt was showing. He didn’t know if it was the fact that they were anonymous or just that they were at a fun casual party with no expectations on either one of them, but Kurt didn’t seem weighed down by the weariness that had seemed to fall on him when they had attended other parties.

The music started up and Blaine laughed when he recognized it as _Ghostbusters_. Gumby and Pokey weren’t perhaps the most graceful costumes for dancing, but he and Kurt made it work.  Kurt shimmied his way through _The Purple People Eater_ and they both butchered the arms movements for _The Chicken Dance_ and they laughed so hard that they probably wouldn’t need to do any ab exercises for a month. Finally a slow song came on and Blaine gathered Kurt in his stumpy horsy arms. He sighed and looked out over the thinning crowd, happy that he had seen his friend’s post about the party.

Blaine hadn’t celebrated Halloween in years, not since Cooper, who had always made sure Blaine had a costume and who had taken him trick-or-treating, had left home. His parents had never made any effort for the holiday, so he had never been to a Halloween party, except the ones thrown at school, but no party could have been as good as this one, even with him dressed up like an orange pony next to a green…well, whatever it was that Gumby was. “So was this Halloween as good as the ones back in Lima?”

Kurt reached up a hand to adjust Gumby’s head, which had been listing a bit to the right. “Better. I don’t remember the last time I had so much fun. I’ve never had a friend I could be so…goofy with. Even my closest friendships are based on a foundation of competitiveness that doesn’t really allow for such spontaneity.”

“Then we’ll just have to do more things like this. How do you feel about miniature golf?”

Kurt shook his head sadly, the top of his Gumby head shaking a little at the movement. “I’m not sure our budding friendship could withstand your inevitable devastation when I win.”

“Oh, a miniature golf champion, are you?”

“I’m more interested in the decorations, to be honest, but I’m nothing if not competitive.” Kurt put a little pressure on Blaine’s shoulder to move him out of the way of a mummy and a koala bear who were dancing a little bit too enthusiastically. “You know, when you were first hired I thought this whole thing sounded like something out a movie — which of course made me Whitney Houston, but I’d prefer to recast you as someone other than Kevin Costner, ‘cause I kinda hate that guy — but I think it wasn’t until this moment that I realized how far from a movie my life really is.”

“Why this moment?” Blaine asked.

“Because I’m in a field, dancing to _Don’t Fear the Reaper_ , dressed as Gumby. I couldn’t get further away from a cinematic moment if I tried.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I can see this as a movie. It’s kind of romantic, actually.”

There was no response from under the Gumby head and Blaine was a little frustrated that he couldn’t see Kurt’s expression, but he let it go and spun Kurt into a tight circle, determined to make the most of the rest of the party.


	9. Chapter 9

_[kurt_peoplemag_sexiest_.gif]_

_BOOM! I’m pregnant [ovaries_exploding.gif]_

_Eyeliner. Eye. Liner. EYEliner. FUCKIN EYELINER!!!! asgdhjsg agsfhsshhs slhsssfsjshs_

_Moar, I want MOAR_

_Will SELL MY ORGANS for the outtakes of this photo shoot_

_I’ll be in my bunk_

_He is staring into my soul *sobbing* just go on without me_

_Someday I may stop being attracted to this man. Today is not that day._

_lol nope #flies into the sun_

_This is the story of how I died {dr_who_rose_on_beach.gif]_

_I don't underSTAND. How is it that he keeps getting better looKING? hnnnngggg_

_WHAT GAVE YOU THE RIGHT? I want to punch myself in the face. that clavicle is the end of me._

_Oops, did I just write smut to go with this? Yes, I did. Sorry I'm not sorry_

_This is the gr9est day of my life. I love everyone in this bar_

=^..^=

 _People’s_ Sexiest Man Alive issue hit the stands and Lynn had a copy delivered to Kurt first thing in the morning. He pulled the magazine out of the envelope and was surprised to see that a small picture of him was featured on the cover. The photo showed just his face, but he could see that it was from the set-up where he had been dressed in the suit. He was kind of glad they picked that photo, since the other set-up had been a little…unusual for him.

It was his first appearance on a magazine cover. He had often joked when he was younger that he was going to be famous someday, but he wasn’t sure he had ever really believed it. A successful career, where he could make a living doing what he loved seemed like enough of a long shot. He never thought he would ever be on a magazine cover, no matter how small the photo.

Blaine joined him on the sofa as they leafed through the pages to find the full size photo. Finally they came to the ‘Sexiest Body Parts’ section that fans had voted on. There on the 2nd page, representing best hair and best eyes, was the photo of Kurt taken while he lounged in the limo.

“Aww. You look so handsome,” Blaine noted as he ran a finger across the paper.

“It was a great suit. I should try and get one for my personal collection.” Kurt got up and started towards the kitchen to grab some breakfast, not wanting to seem too vain by staring at the photo for too long. Before he got halfway there Blaine called out to him.

“Umm…Kurt? That isn’t the only place you’re in here.” Blaine held up the magazine so that Kurt could see it and there he was, filling an entire page. It was a photo of him from the emo set-up, his arms stretched up, pulling his shirt tight against his chest and shoulders, a little patch of pale skin playing peek-abo at his waistline. With his messy, spiky hair and lined eyes he seemed…different. Mysterious and sexual in a way that Kurt had never once thought of himself. On the opposite page was the title ‘Sexiest Newcomer’ and the accompanying blurb recapped his short career and the impact he had made with his openness regarding his sexuality.

Kurt could do nothing but gape. Lynn hadn’t told him about this additional placement and he was kind of glad she didn’t. It had been nerve-racking enough to think of just the small photo in the poll section. He still hadn’t wrapped his mind around how he, Kurt Hummel, could be the sexiest anything when his phone buzzed. He looked down at the text message and groaned.

“What?” Blaine asked, handing the magazine over to Kurt.

“My friends have found out about the magazine. I’m doomed. I’ll never hear the end of this. I’ll be eighty and still getting crap from Puck.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Blaine pointed out, putting his hands on Kurt’s shoulders to give them a quick rub. “We should go out and buy a copy of the magazine.”

 “But…” Kurt held his copy in the air and shook it.

“Come on, don’t you want to see it on the newsstand?”

Kurt knew he was going to lose the fight, so he decided to just surrender gracefully. Blaine drove them to a grocery store a few miles from his house (Kurt refused to go to his local market where he normally shopped, it would be just too humiliating), where they snuck in and took some photos of the magazines on the shelf. When they were done Blaine picked up a stack and got in line at the register. Kurt stood silently beside him, embarrassed, yet secretly pleased. They reached the front of the line and the cashier’s eyes widened when she saw the stack. Kurt could contain himself no longer. He started laughing and soon Blaine joined in. The cashier looked bewildered at their reaction until she recognized Kurt. She reached over and grabbed another copy of the magazine off the stand and asked Kurt for his autograph, squealing a bit as she did so. The commotion attracted several other people, who also asked for autographs as well as some photos with Kurt. Blaine just stood a few feet away, watching carefully and letting Kurt appreciate the moment.

=^..^=

Kurt had a final week of filming on his movie before he had a break until after Christmas. The production was moving to a location in Victoria, British Columbia, so they were off to the airport bright and early in the morning. Blaine wasn’t shocked to find that they were discovered almost immediately by the paparazzi who haunted LAX. Even once they passed through security, leaving the photographers far behind, and were directed to the first class waiting room, he and Kurt kept up the blushing boyfriends pretense, since in the age of phone cameras there was really no place that they could be ensured that someone wasn’t recording them.

While they waited to be called for their flight, Kurt took out his phone to answer some emails and Blaine got on his tablet to see what the world’s reaction had been to the _People_ photos. He snickered as he brought up his ‘good’ Tumblr dashboard, still endlessly amused by the creativity of Kurt’s legions of fans. Kurt kept glancing over at him each time he laughed until he finally put his phone away with a sigh and wiggled in close to Blaine’s side so that he could see the screen also.

“Look Kurt. The sight of you in eyeliner has evidently set off a sex riot of epic proportions.”

“Wha…?” Kurt read a few entries and became engrossed, so Blaine handed over the tablet and pulled out his phone. He pulled up his Twitter app and went through some of the searches he had saved that would pull up negative Tweets about Kurt that he wanted to review. On his third search he was surprised to see a large number of Tweets return with extremely negative comments about himself. Evidently there was a contingent of Kurt’s fans who felt it was grossly unfair that Blaine had been mentioned in an online article about Kurt’s appearance in the Sexiest Man issue and felt that he was just using Kurt for publicity. Their reaction was over-the-top to say the least. He clicked on the link in one of the tweets, which led him to a Tumblr posting with a photo of him and Kurt at the top and several comments below.

_I’m sorry, but I just don’t like Blaine. He isn’t right for Kurt at all imho_

_What is this crap? Why is that piece of shit even mentioned in this article? He’s a NOBODY!_

_GTFO Blaine_

_Blaine’s only using Kurt to jumpstart his career. We all know it. Expect an announcement any day that he’s going to be an actor or something._

_Blaine has no charisma, no sex appeal, no personality as far as I can tell. #the sex must be horrible. #I bet he just lays there and lets kurt do all the work_

_I can’t stand those horrible eyebrows. Hasn’t he ever heard of waxing?_

_Ha! He looks like a cro-magnon man #and is probably just as tall too_

_Please. There are a hundred actors I can think of who’d be better with Kurt. He needs someone as successful and talented as him_

_I hate blaine with the passion of a thousand suns. #die loser_

_Ugh everytime I see the two of them together I want to hulk out and just *smash* blaines a horrible user why can’t kurt see that?_

_Can you Blaine haters please stop using my posts to spread your viciousness? Go make your own gifs for this crap.#i just want to live in my happy place okay_

Kurt must have noticed the change in his expression, because he leaned over to see what Blaine was reading. “And that’s why Lynn has one of her interns go into my Twitter account every morning and block users who send hate. Some get through still, but without it I don’t think I’d ever use it. You just have to learn to ignore the bad, but in the instances when it's too much…” He pulled out his own phone again and typed in a quick message.

_Hey guys, Blaine never signed up for this fame stuff, so can you take it easy on him?_

Almost immediately messages began flooding in asking who was saying bad things about Blaine and offering love and support to him. Kurt smiled wistfully and refreshed the screen over and over to add the new messages that kept coming in. “Behold the horror and the power of Twitter.”

“Amazing. Like a little army coming to my defense. You didn't have to do that though, you know. I can take it.”

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t have to.” Kurt handed over Blaine’s tablet with a sigh and moved back to his original seat, shoulders bent in defeat.  

=^..^=

Blaine stood quietly, trying hard to be unobtrusive, as Kurt finished up his last scene of the day. The crew and actors had gotten used to seeing Blaine at the studio back in L.A., so they had thought nothing of it when Blaine had accompanied Kurt to the location shoot also.

He watched as Kurt did his scene over and over, running out onto the dock to a houseboat at the end. The scene wasn’t overly complicated, but external problems kept the director from being happy with what they were getting. In the first shot, a seagull had flown down and landed on a ledge behind Kurt, ruining the continuity with a previous shot. Another time a sea lion had popped his head out of the water just as Kurt had started running and the cries of delight from the small crowd watching (and a few members of the crew) had necessitated starting over.

Finally the director got what he wanted and he called for a small break as they set up for the next scene. Kurt gratefully accepted a bottle of water from a waiting PA and headed over to Blaine.

“Hey Kurt!  Great job!” said a man walking past Kurt in the opposite direction.

“Thanks!  Good luck on your first shot,” Kurt called over his shoulder.

“Was that Robert? Disney Channel guy?” Blaine asked watching as the man nearly skipped over to the set in his excitement.

“Yeah. Turns out a small part was added in the re-writes we got a few weeks ago and I mentioned to the casting director that I knew someone who might be good for it.”

Blaine felt like his heart was going to expand right outside of his chest. He didn’t think he’d ever been so proud. “You never stop surprising me, do you know that?”

“Well, I hope not. I’d rather wear last year’s trends than be predictable,” Kurt gave a saucy smile and ran a hand over the shaggy blond wig that his character had been using as a disguise in the last scene. It made him look about 16 years old and Blaine kind of felt like a dirty old man for having the thoughts he was having.

Before he went to the make-up trailer to have the wig removed, Kurt had Blaine take a picture of him and then attached it to a Tweet where he told everyone that it was his new hairstyle and asked for their opinions. He laughed as the replies came in, some trying to be supportive, but most expressing dismay over the loss of his signature locks.

He disappeared into the trailer and emerged a little while later with the wig gone and his normal style back in place. This time he motioned for a PA to snap a picture of both him and Blaine, which he tweeted out with the reassurance that his previous message had just been a joke.

Blaine thought back to the negative responses on Twitter and Tumblr to his being in Kurt’s life.  They weren’t wrong; Kurt did deserve someone great, someone better than Blaine. He’d been thinking a lot about their brief kiss at the premier lately, but knew it shouldn’t be repeated. Kurt was destined for great things and Blaine was…not. It was better that they remain friends and part on good terms when his job was done.

As Kurt went to get out of his costume, Blaine watched as the crew started to film another shot, which involved the stars of the movie, a long-married, super-famous couple, who seemed just as in love as they had been years ago when they had first gotten together.

Blaine marveled at their longevity, wondering how they had stayed together for so long. It wasn’t that he was afraid of commitment, it was just that he had learned from his relationship with his parents that love wasn’t something you could count on and that he never again wanted to be the person who was being left, so he was the one who did the leaving. As soon as the end of the relationship appeared on the horizon he took that as his cue to make a graceful exit. Though he hadn’t had many boyfriends he had become surprisingly adept at ending things with no hard feelings. The trick was never forgetting that the end was coming, that nothing lasts forever, and that people always leave. It wasn’t hard to remember.

He’d had a lot of practice.

=^..^=

As soon as they got back home from the airport Kurt dropped his bag on the floor and face-planted onto his bed, thankful for the high thread count of his comforter, which was soft and warm against his skin. The flight hadn’t been that long, but they had packed a lot of scenes into his three days on set and it had taken a lot out of him. It had been great having Blaine with him, though. Having someone to unwind with, someone who could get him out of his head and keep him from obsessing about the next day’s work for long enough to get a good night’s sleep, had been wonderful. Of course, he would have sacrificed that sleep if Blaine had been willing to join him in his giant king size bed. Picturing that made Kurt wiggle a little as his pants grew a bit too tight, so he used a tactic he’d picked up from his step-brother (Think of the mail, Kurt. Think of the mail). The image wasn’t quite as effective for him as it was for Finn. He’d have to find his own cooling down image if Blaine was going to be with him much longer.

Blaine poked his head in shortly after and laughed at Kurt’s awkward position. “You’re going to suffocate like that.”

“imn oo ire o uffica,” Kurt said, his face still buried.

“Umm…once again please?”

Kurt lifted his head up just long enough to enunciate. “I’m too tired to suffocate.”

“Somehow I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Tired. So tired.” Kurt let his face drop back down and made a loud snoring sound.

“Come on, I’ll fix you a quick dinner then tuck you into bed.” Blaine tugged on Kurt’s hand, finally succeeding in pulling him upright.

They were just finishing up a light dinner when Kurt got a call from Bev. He listened quietly before telling her he’d get back to her later. He ended the call and tossed his phone down on the table violently before stalking off into the living room. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but he eventually felt a presence behind him and the rich scent of chocolate tickled his nose. He looked arouind to find Blaine holding up a steaming cup of cocoa. Kurt took the cup and stared down into it, mesmerized by the bobbing mini-marshmallows. Blaine didn’t say anything and just settled himself on the sofa unobtrusively, his own cup clutched in his hands.

Finally, Kurt spoke, bitterness dripping from every word. “My old high school wants me to come back and give a talk at an assembly. You know, the whole ‘local kid makes good’ rah-rah spiel. They only ask that I concentrate on how being involved in the arts there helped me in my career and not on the, and I quote, ‘unfortunate incidents that I’ve alluded to in the press.’ That school…they didn’t give a crap about me while I was there, while I was getting harassed on a daily basis. And now they want me to come back and talk about how much that school, those people meant to me? How they contributed to my success? The nerve…” Kurt broke off, his voice cracking. “To most people there I was either something to be ignored or brought down a peg or two whenever they were feeling bored. I don’t think I went a single week at that school without some violence directed towards me.”

Blaine faced Kurt and folded a leg up under him, leaning back with an arm over the back of the sofa. “But you had friends there. I’ve heard you talk about them.”

“I was friends with most of the glee kids, but they were a pretty incestuous group dating-wise and for obvious reasons I was left out of that, so I kind of got forgotten there too. The school dances, the romantic love songs, they all went on without me. I know it’s stupid, but it's amazing how much that stuff still stings. In some ways it’s worse than the memories of the locker slams and the threats.”

“The people we love can hurt us worse than any stranger ever could.”

Kurt realized how deep and personal the conversation was getting and tried to redirect the conversation by forcing a laugh. “I don’t know about that. Have you ever played dodge-ball? You don’t soon forget the pain caused by those bad boys.”

Blaine refused to let him make light of the subject. “I’m not saying you should go, because you’re the only one that can make that decision, but if you do go, you should talk about what you want to talk about. Don’t let them dictate to you what your story is. I bet there are kids at that school right now that are in the same place that you were, who would really benefit from seeing that there is life after high school, that there are better times ahead. And maybe hearing your story would wake those teachers up and make them see how their refusal to act is so damaging.”

“I just…I don’t think I can go back in that building. I wish I could, because I really don’t want a show choir national championship team photo in the trophy case to be the only proof that I was there, but…”

“You do what’s right for you, Kurt. No one who knows you is ever going to judge you for it.”

“It’s not the people who know me that I’m worried about.”


	10. Chapter 10

_Sources tell us Kurt Hummel was invited to speak at McKinley High School, where he got his start in performing and began the training that would eventually lead him on to fame and fortune, but he refused. Even a personal plea from a close personal friend who used to run the school’s blog had little effect. Is he afraid to return to face the people he has defamed with his tall tales about alleged bullying and so-called abuse? Is he too much of a coward to face the teachers who gave so much to him and are still waiting on recognition or even a ‘thank you’? Or is he just selfish and unwilling to spend even a few hours passing on the knowledge he has gained to the next generation_? _—_ TheirDirtyLaundryUncovered _blog, November 5th, 2018._

=^..^=

Blaine was awoken from a most excellent dream involving shopping with Kurt in a store that was filled with thousands of styles of bow ties by the sound of the intercom buzzing. He partially sleepwalked over to the intercom panel and peered at the small video screen to identify their mysterious early morning visitor. The sight that greeted him was so shocking he thought for a moment that he must be still dreaming. He hit the button to open the gate and rushed to the front door. “Cooper?” Blaine blinked owlishly, not sure he could believe what he was seeing. “What? How…how did you get this address?”

His brother reached an arm out and wrapped it around Blaine’s neck to pull him in for a hug, much as he had done when Blaine was still a child. “I stopped by Kurt’s manager’s office yesterday and charmed it out of her lovely assistant. She’s a big fan. Knew all the words to my jingle.”

Blaine made a mental note to have a serious conversation with Kellie as soon as possible and stood aside to invite Cooper inside. He couldn’t believe his brother had showed up at Kurt’s house. At the crack of dawn. It was so inconsiderate, so inappropriate, so…Cooper. It had been months since they had last spoken and Blaine wasn’t even sure where Cooper was living at the moment. A mildly (to put it in the most polite terms) successful commercial and bit TV actor, Cooper was always on the move, going where the jobs took him. They had never really been all that close, since Blaine was 10 years younger and Cooper had seldom visited once he left for college. The disinterestedness with which their parents had treated them had spread to their own relationship and now they spoke only about three or four times a year, usually on the major holidays. “What are you doing here? What do you want?”

Cooper flung himself down on the wing-backed chair in the living room and kicked his feet up on to the ottoman, slouching enough to cause his black leather jacket to bunch up a little at his waist. “What, I can’t stop by to see my wonderful little brother without an ulterior motive?” The look Blaine shot him spoke volumes. “Okay, you got me. Imagine my surprise when I got back from Mexico where I was filming my role in an upcoming Lifetime movie of the week — I play this henchman of the main villain. It’s a really meaty role, despite not having any dialog, and I must say I think I overshadowed the lead in several scenes. I’m expecting a call from the director for a bigger role in his next project — anyways, I get back and go online to catch on the industry scoop I’ve missed and what do I see? New Hollywood ‘It’ guy Kurt Hummel has a boyfriend and it’s my darling brother.”

Blaine felt the flare of happiness that Cooper’s appearance had caused drain away in the wake of the confirmation that he hadn’t really come to see Blaine at all. “Sorry Coop,” Blaine said with a twinge of regret, “it just happened so fast and we haven’t talked in a while.” There was no way he was going to tell Cooper the truth about his relationship with Kurt, since he couldn’t be trusted to keep his mouth shut, but he could have at least called to tell him the cover story.

“I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing,” Cooper smiled, clasping his hands over the stomach that he kept flat and toned by doing over 500 sit-ups a day, if his repeated boasts could be believed. “To see if you’re happy and more importantly, to find out how this going to benefit me.”

And Blaine’s regret was now gone. “Why would my relationship benefit you?”

“Kurt’s an actor, I’m an actor.” Cooper waved his hands in the air, nearly knocking a lamp off of the nearby table. “If he’s going to be family it’s just natural that we would help each other out, squirt.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m sorry Coop, but I can’t think of a single situation where _you_ would be able to help Kurt.”

“Well, sure, not _now_ , but someday, eventually, yes. And I’ll be happy to do it, whatever it is, to pay him back.”

“Pay him back for what?” Blaine asked, already anticipating the answer.

“For introducing me to his agent, of course. Mine has been a little…lackluster lately and I’m thinking I need to upgrade. I’m sure Kurt’s agent has a ton of scripts that come across his desk with roles for a strapping, classically handsome chap like me.”

Before Blaine could respond Kurt came shuffling out of the bedroom, dressed in a silk robe covered in a tartan pattern. “Was that the intercom I heard buzzing? Who on earth is here at six o’clock in the morning?” Kurt’s eyes widened when he saw Cooper and Blaine could have sworn he saw him do an exaggerated gulp.

Introductions were made and Cooper managed to (mostly) keep his more obnoxious qualities in check. He was charming and funny and soon had Kurt eating out of his hand. They conversed easily until Blaine’s stomach reminded him that they hadn’t yet had breakfast. He coaxed Kurt out of the room with the suggestion that they put something together to eat and apologized as soon as they got into the other room. “I’m so sorry. He just showed up with no warning, Kurt.”

“It’s okay. I just…he’s… Your brother’s extremely good looking, isn’t he?” Kurt gave a dreamy sigh and looked back towards the living room with a goofy expression on his face. “He kind of looks familiar. I can’t quite place him…”

Blaine waved his hand in front of Kurt’s face to get his attention. “I’ll get him out of your hair. Just give me five minutes and —“

“No! I mean, far be it for me to cut your reunion short,” Kurt interjected. “Why don’t we all go out to breakfast? Get to know each other better?”

Kurt’s undisguised eagerness to spend more time with his brother didn’t sit too well with Blaine. “He’ll just spend the whole time trying to convince you to set him up with your agent. He’s just looking for a career boost.”

“Bah. I’m sure that’s just an excuse. I bet he missed you and doesn’t know how to say it.” Kurt threaded his arm through Blaine’s and looked down at him happily. “Come on, pancakes are on me.”

“I think you’ll regret this.”

“Doubtful. I can’t think of anything better to do than to spend the day with the two best looking guys in North America.”

=^..^=

They ended up at Peggy Sue’s, a small café they had discovered a few weeks earlier. The place was small, with only a few tables, and neither the customers nor the staff had ever seemed to recognize Kurt. They were able to slip into a table at the back and Kurt and Blaine quickly put in their orders for pancakes with all the fixings. Cooper took a little while longer to order and flirted a bit with the waitress, asking about the specials and what her recommendations were.

Blaine felt a warm breath on the side of his face as Kurt leaned over to whisper, “Blaine, why is your brother speaking in a bad Italian accent?”

“It’s…just a stupid thing he does. Please just ignore him.”

Just then Cooper finished making his selection and the waitress left them to place the order with the cook.

“So, the movie star and the commoner, huh? Is it true love or what? Give me all the scoop. Everything that’s not fit to print. No need to skip the sexy stuff either, I’m a big boy.” Cooper leaned back in his chair with a giant grin on his face and waggled his eyebrows.

Blaine looked around the room furtively. Though no one had recognized them so far there was no need to push their luck. “Cooper, I’m hardly going to talk about the intimate details of my relationship with you.”

Out of the corner of his eye Blaine saw Kurt narrow his eyes at him in confusion. When Cooper became distracted for a minute by the waitress bending over to pick up a fallen napkin Blaine shook his head at Kurt, hoping he would get the message that he didn’t want Cooper to know that they weren’t really dating. He saw the comprehension on Kurt’s face, then a spark of something else.

Cooper refocused his attention on them and Blaine gave a start of surprise when Kurt scooted his chair closer and leaned his head on Blaine’s shoulder. “Oh, it’s true love, definitely. Your brother is the most incredible man I’ve ever met.” Kurt turned his head and kissed Blaine softly on the cheek, his face radiating sweetness, but his eyes promising of a morning of torture.

“I’m glad to hear it. I was worried about him for a while when he was a kid. I know it’s difficult when you grow up with a supremely talented older sibling, but I didn’t think he always applied himself as much as he could when it came to acting and dance lessons,” Cooper declared, obviously missing the point that Kurt was talking about him as a _man_ and not a _performer_.

“I was eight the last time you saw me dance,” Blaine grumbled softly into this coffee.

“You two used to take lessons together?” Kurt looked delightedly between the two of them, probably imagining them dressed as orphans from _Oliver!_ or acting out a scene from _Huck Finn_. He reached down and put his hand on Blaine’s knee, only looking back innocently when Blaine nearly jumped out of his skin.

“No, the lessons he’s referring to basically consisted of him trying to teach me these bizarre techniques he picked up from some old book at the library and then ridiculing me whenever I got something wrong,” Blaine replied, distracted by the feeling of Kurt’s hand still touching his leg.

Cooper set down his glass and pointed at Blaine emphatically. “Hey, don’t knock my methods, little brother. The things I learned from that book made me one of America’s best loved credit rating spokespeople.”

“I knew I recognized you!” Kurt cried, bouncing up and down in his seat excitedly. “I used to love those commercials. I actually had the song as my ring tone for a while in high school.”

Kurt and Cooper began to talk about Cooper’s commercials and the evolution that the Free Credit Rating Today jingle had gone through over the years. Blaine took another sip of coffee and remembered how proud he’d been when he’d first seen Cooper on TV singing that stupid song. Proud that was until he realized that Cooper hadn’t even bothered to call and tell him that he had gotten a big national commercial. It had hurt, because he knew that there was nothing Cooper liked better than talking about himself, so he must have called almost everyone he knew and told them about the job. Everyone except his brother, that is. Blaine had tried calling him that night, but the phone number he had was disconnected.  It had been another five months until they had spoken again.

The feeling of Kurt’s hand on his brought Blaine’s attention back to the present.

“Blaine, honey, your food’s here.”

Blaine looked down to find a plate of blueberry pancakes sitting in front of him. Kurt and Cooper were both looking at him, Kurt with some concern and Cooper with annoyance probably because the conversation had moved off of him for a moment.

“So I saw that interview you did on the red carpet,” Cooper said, gesturing with his fork at Blaine, nearly causing the bite of scrambled eggs sitting on it to fly into his lap. “Very nice. You have good presence in front of the camera, but I have a tip for the next time. You should always try and make sure you’re photographed from your right side.”

Blaine was unexpectedly touched that Cooper would study pictures and videos of him enough to know what his best side was. “Thanks, Coop. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yeah, your left side is much more photogenic and we can’t have people thinking you’re the better looking Anderson brother, can we?”

Ah yes, it was good to see Cooper again.

=^..^=

In what he hoped wasn’t the beginning of a pattern, Kurt woke up at six o’clock again the next morning. Unable to get back to sleep, he dragged himself out of bed towards his in-house gym. He opened the door to find Blaine already there, deeply immersed in his own workout. Kurt knew Blaine worked out every morning, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed it. When he had moved in, Blaine had asked if he could add a workout bag to the gym and now Kurt was very glad that he had said yes. Blaine had his back to him and he was rhythmically hitting the bag, the muscles in his back bunching and releasing, sweat dripping down and making each muscle glisten. It made Kurt flash back to the very hot (and wholly inappropriate) dream he’d had the night before that involved him being in the middle of an Anderson brother sandwich.

Meeting Cooper had been very enlightening and had given him some much needed insight into Blaine’s life growing up. It was obvious that the two men didn’t feel completely comfortable with each other and that there was some baggage carried on both sides. There had been only a brief mention of their parents and Kurt was surprised to hear that it had been several years since either of their sons had seen them. Most of the conversation had centered on Cooper and his career, as Blaine had forewarned, but Kurt hadn’t minded. The scenery had been beautiful (man, those Anderson genes were of good quality) even if much of the talk had been less than interesting.

They’d finished eating and then sent Cooper off with a promise that Kurt would see if his agent had any open appointments for the following week (Cooper, of course, had just happened to have some head shots with him, which he’d given to Kurt). It was a promise that Kurt planned to follow through on. He had no idea how good (or bad) an actor Cooper was, but he was amazingly good looking and Kurt had a feeling his agent might be interested. And besides, even though Kurt now had some success, he still knew what it was like to get a rejection without even being given a chance to show what he could do. He’d seen the desperation in Cooper’s eyes, the need to prove himself and get beyond the bottom of the barrel roles he’d been getting and Kurt wanted to give him that chance.

He also hoped that helping Cooper might bring Blaine and his brother closer together. Cooper had spent almost the entire visit talking to Kurt and Kurt had seen the sadness under Blaine’s eyes as he watched them. Cooper was Blaine’s only family really and the fact that he had shown so little interest in Blaine had obviously been painful. Maybe if Cooper was more successful, more sure of himself, he would become less self-involved. It was a long shot, but Kurt wanted to try. Blaine had done so much for him, been so supportive, and helped him so much, he needed to start giving back and until he could find a better way to do it, helping Cooper would have to do.

The clanging sound of weights dropping brought Kurt back to the present. Blaine had finished with the bag and had moved over to the weight bench where he was now wiping the sweat off his brow and Kurt could have sworn the whole thing was happening in slow motion. He began to get a great idea (well, he had more than one, but there was only one he was going to act on) and slipped out of the room to give it more thought.

=^..^=

While Blaine finished up his workout, Kurt retreated to the kitchen and began the first step in his plan. Blaine’s favorite breakfast food was Belgian waffles, so Kurt whipped up a batter and set it to chill in the fridge. He then set about making his secret recipe (and oh, so bad for the waistline) cheesy scrambled eggs and finished up by frying some bacon until it was perfect and crispy. When Blaine emerged from his bedroom freshly showered he found Kurt standing next to the delicious bounty with an enormous smile.

“Did you have a good workout?” Kurt asked as his waved Blaine to the table.

Blaine’s eyes widened as he took in all the food. “Yeah. Sorry if I woke you this morning. Cooper’s visit…I had some aggression to work through.”

“No, I woke up on my own, don’t worry. I thought I’d celebrate this lovely day with a big breakfast. Come. Sit.”

“This looks delicious. Why do I get the feeling you’re buttering me up for something?” Blaine asked suspiciously, taking a seat at the table and shaking a napkin out onto his lap.

Kurt put a hand to his chest dramatically. “I’m hurt that you would doubt my intentions and cast such aspersions on my character.”

“Uh huh. It’s too soon after Cooper’s visit for me to fall for this. It might have been more effective without the Southern Belle accent too. What do you want?” The last words were a little hard to understand because Blaine already had his mouth full of eggs.

“Well, since you offered,” Kurt smiled beauteously, leaning over and pouring maple syrup onto Blaine’s waffle like the housewife in a 1950s sitcom. “There’s a role I’ve been thinking about going out for, but I’ll need to prove to the studio that I’m physically able to do it. I was hoping you might consider training me.”

“You have my attention. Do go on.” Blaine joined in on the game and rolled his hand in front of him in a pompous magnanimous gesture.

Kurt dropped the act and cleared his throat nervously. “They’re…they’re rebooting the _X-Men_ franchise and one of the characters is going to be Northstar. He’s —“

“He’s gay,” Blaine said, his eyebrows even pointier in his surprise. “He’s an openly gay superhero. Wow, I-I can’t believe you’re going out for that role.”

Kurt felt a prickle of pain at Blaine’s reaction, but tried not to show it. Did Blaine think he wasn’t masculine enough for the role? “Why? You don’t think I can do it?”

“No, no!” Blaine covered Kurt’s hand with his on the table and squeezed. “I just meant that it doesn’t seem like your thing, that’s all. You don’t strike me as the graphic novel sort. Have you ever even read an issue of _X-Men_? Or seen a superhero movie for that matter?”

“Sorry, I’m kind of over-sensitive about people implying I’m too ‘feminine’ for a role. Ancient history.” The feeling of Blaine’s hands on his was so comforting that Kurt didn’t want to move. “As for reading the _X-Men_ , I hadn’t until this role came up, but my agent sent over a bunch of issues with Northstar in them and I’ve read them all. And while superhero movies are not really my cup of Earl Grey, you’re forgetting I lived for several years with my very straight, football playing step-brother. I’ve seen more superhero movies than I care to admit. Some of them do have a certain…appeal.”

“The spandex?” Blaine put his elbows on the table and set his chin in his hands innocently.

Kurt sighed blissfully and nodded. “The spandex.” He picked up his knife and began to twist it back and forth between his fingers nervously. “I know I’m probably not the first actor that comes to mind for the role, but I really think I can do it and he’ll be the first gay superhero in a movie. I just…it will be iconic and I want it to be me.”

“Kurt, you don’t have to convince me. I think you’d be amazing and I’ll do whatever I can to help. Let’s go over the script and figure out what we should train on.”

Kurt gave a delighted squeak and clapped his hands together. With Blaine’s help that part was his.

=^..^=

Blaine sat next to Kurt on the living room floor, the script and graphic novels spread out around them. Northstar was described as a French (“Oui, je parle français, Blaine”) professional skier (“Ha, never even tried a pair of skis on. I look amazing in a good ski sweater, though”), whose special power was superhuman speed. In addition, he was a skilled trapeze artist with exceptional agility, enhanced reflexes, and advanced martial arts training. Blaine couldn’t help with the superhuman speed, but he could definitely teach Kurt some martial arts basics for the audition.

He had Kurt give him a demo of any skills he already had that would be useful and was stunned to see an amazing display of Sai sword work and flexibility. After his brain had recovered enough from the sight of Kurt doing the splits and almost putting his leg behind his head that he could form a coherent thought, Blaine suggested that they start training the next day with fencing. Though there was no specific call for sword fighting in the script, Blaine had found that fencing helped with grace of movement, balance, and reaction times. Kurt already had an inherent natural grace, but it would be good to get a little discipline behind it.

Blaine made an appointment at a specialty gym that specialized in fencing, careful to time it so that they wouldn’t be caught in the nightmare that was Los Angeles traffic. There weren’t many things that made Blaine loose his cool, but sitting still on the highway, trapped between a low-rider with the base turned all the way up and a sedan with a right-wing bumper sticker on the back was one of them and one should never fence angry.

Once at the gym they visited the equipment rental area for their clothing, pads, and foils. Blaine watched as Kurt’s eyes widened in amazement at the shear amount of equipment. They made their way to the locker room and Blaine dropped his things on a bench, not commenting when Kurt moved over to the next row of lockers, out of Blaine’s sight. The basic clothing was simple: tight white knee-length breeches, knee-high socks that covered the ends of the pants, and a long-sleeved shirt that hugged the body tightly. The pads came next: a chest protector, underarm protector for the sword arm, and, of course, a protective cup. Once he had finished putting on his padding Blaine waited for Kurt to finish, since the jacket that went over the top of everything fastened in the back and was difficult to put on alone.

Kurt joined him a few minutes later, jacket in hand, and Blaine felt all the moisture leave his mouth. Kurt looked good in white (and by ‘good’, Blaine meant ‘mind-blowingly amazing’) and the tight breeches were a look he should consider adopting in real life. He helped Kurt on with his jacket and fastened the back enclosures, running his hand across his back to make sure that he had caught them all. Kurt returned the favor and all that was left was the final strap.

“This is called the ‘crotch strap’, so it’s pretty self-explanatory,” Blaine explained awkwardly. “It fastens in back with a buckle. To keep the jacket from riding up when you move. Um…yeah.”

Kurt hesitated before reaching down to pass the strap between his legs and held it out behind him for Blaine to take. Blaine knelt down to fasten the buckle and found his face very near an area that thousands of fan girls and boys would probably pay a lot of money to touch. He finished quickly and Kurt did the same for him and they were done.

They picked up their masks, gloves, and foils and started out of the locker room. On the way they passed a full length mirror and Kurt paused to look at himself critically. “I kind of like it. I might have to use this as inspiration for some new designs.”

The time for their appointment arrived and they entered the fencing strip assigned to them. Blaine explained the basics then helped Kurt put his mask and gloves on. They practiced simple moves for about an hour before Blaine led Kurt through a short match. He was impressed with how quickly Kurt had picked things up. He had great form (and a most impressive lunge) and was quickly picking up the strategic aspects of the sport. If he ended up getting the role, Blaine was going to suggest that he continue the training. He called an end to their session and Kurt pulled off his mask, shooting a triumphant grin Blaine’s way.

They returned to the locker room to shower and change. After piling his discarded clothes and pads in a neat pile Blaine headed to the showers. The gym had excellent water pressure and he just stood beneath the beating water for a few minutes, letting it wash away any tension. He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist before leaving the shower stall. As he turned the corner he ran into Kurt, who had just finished his own shower. Like Blaine, Kurt had a towel on for modesty, but while trying to avoid running full into Blaine he’d lost hold of one edge. For a split second the mirror behind him reflected him in all his toned glory for Blaine to see. Blaine put on a poker face and pretended he hadn’t seen anything. He just smiled apologetically and continued on to his locker. Once there he leaned his forehead against the cool metal and took in a shuddering breath. This was the universe trying to balance things out after the dressing room incident, he just knew it. He took another deep breath. Kurt was much more muscular than he would have ever guessed. Lean and hard in all the right places. Blaine shook his head and started to put on his street clothes. Kurt should be naked in his next role. That should be a thing.

=^..^=

After a week of fencing lessons, Blaine had declared it time to move onto martial arts training and Kurt was glad for the change. He was enjoying fencing, more than he thought he would in fact, since it was a sport and Kurt was, well, Kurt, but the constant talk about ‘thrusting’ had made him want to request that they turn up the air conditioning in the training room.

They had discussed the different kinds of martial arts that Blaine was trained in and had decided on taekwondo and aikido for some classical style moves and krav maga for a more modern take. The fights scripted for Northstar were very physical and always against two or more opponents, so while they would start out with some simple sparring, the plan was to get into some more complicated moves. Blaine even hoped to add in some parkour, which seemed like something Northstar would do in order to get the advantage in a fight.

The first few days were about the basics and Kurt was pleased to catch on relatively quickly. Now, on the third day of training, Blaine had told him they were going to do some actual sparring and maybe learn a flip or two.

As Kurt watched Blaine cover the floor with mats that would cushion them a bit when they fell, he realized that this was the start to every cheesy training montage that had ever graced a movie screen. Only unlike in most of those montages, the trainee was silently lusting over the trainer.

They warmed up before doing a short review of moves Kurt had learned on the previous days. When the sparring began Kurt was fully aware that Blaine was holding back a lot, but that didn’t lessen his feeling of accomplishment. After about an hour they took a break to get some water and prepare for the flip training. Kurt watched as Blaine ran a towel over his head, rubbing some of the moisture out of the curls that he hadn’t bothered to gel that morning. A bead of sweat ran down his neck before taking a detour across his torso once it met the resistance of his chest hair. Kurt was imagining tracing the trail it left with his tongue when he heard his name being called.

“Kurt?  Are you ready?”

Kurt refocused his attention. “Absolutely. This training may really come in handy the next time there’s a sale at Barney’s. Oh! Black Friday is coming up. It’s the most cutthroat shopping day of the year, you know. Let’s go Mr. Miyagi, teach me your mysterious wax on/wax off ways.”

“Mmm…this is more aikido than karate, but I’ll accept the comparison,” Blaine said, moving into position on the mat.

Blaine showed Kurt the basic moves of the flip, which used an attacker’s own body weight against them, several times before actually demonstrating on Kurt himself. One second Kurt was standing on the mat and the next thing he knew he was laid out flat on his back looking up at Blaine, who was holding out a hand to help him up. They did the flip several more times before Blaine felt Kurt was ready to try it himself.

Kurt tried unsuccessfully several times to replicate the flip, Blaine offering little corrections each time. Finally, everything clicked and Kurt swept his arm around, flipping Blaine over his shoulder in one smooth move. He was so surprised that it had worked that he forgot to let go of Blaine’s arm and the momentum brought him down too, where he landed right on top of Blaine.

Kurt closed his eyes as he landed and after the initial shock of the impact dissipated, he opened them, anxious to offer an apology for his clumsiness. The words stuck in his throat, though, as he found himself face-to-face with Blaine, their lips just inches apart. There was a hush in the room, with only the sounds of their heavy breathing echoing off the blank walls. Neither one of them moved as they stared into each other’s eyes. As he lay there, Kurt became aware of a hundred sensations: the sponginess of the mat beneath his knee and hand, the roughness of the hair on Blaine’s ankle, the surprising softness of the chest hairs where his other hand lay, the chill in the air made all the more evident by the heat coming off of their bodies. He watched as Blaine’s pupils dilated and one of his hands came up to rest on Kurt’s waist. As he became lost in Blaine’s eyes, he dropped his head slightly, their lips moving closer and closer with each passing second.

Their trance was broken when music erupted from Kurt’s phone as a call came in.

Kurt pushed himself off of Blaine slowly and they both sat up, gasping to regain their breath. Blaine looked over towards Kurt’s phone then back, a disbelieving look on his face. He ran his hand through his damp curls and got to his feet, quietly slipping out of the room. Kurt watched him go in confusion, before groaning when his phone rang again. He threw himself back on the floor, his hands covering his face, as he listened to the sounds of the ring tone he had set up the week before: Cooper Anderson singing the Free Credit Rating Today jingle.

=^..^=

After he took a shower and dawdled by spending way too much time fixing his hair, Kurt slunk out of his room and grabbed a few slices of pizza from the fridge to bring back to his room. He tried to convince himself that he wasn’t avoiding Blaine again, he just had things that he’d been putting off that required his attention. He needed to experiment with that new box of French skin care creams that had arrived the week before and he also had to perform a long overdue rearrangement of his closet (he’d found a Paul Smith scarf mixed in with his summer sweaters the other day and that kind of chaos could not continue).

It was almost Thanksgiving and the holiday couldn’t come soon enough for Kurt. He desperately needed to see his dad again and take comfort in the quiet, steady strength he always offered. It also wouldn’t hurt that there would be someone around to act as a buffer between Blaine and himself for a few days. The little moments of being caught in an inappropriate daydream or almost acting on his attraction were coming closer together now. He didn’t know what it would be, but something was going to have to give, and soon.


	11. Chapter 11

_Is Kurt Hummel already stepping out on brand new boyfriend Blaine Anderson? Sources tell us that Kurt and an unidentified man were recently spotted getting cozy at Peggy Sue’s Diner, a local Hollywood eatery, very early in the morning. Their conversation was described as “intense” and “intimate” and it seems that though the restaurant was full of other patrons they only had eyes for each other.  Did Kurt just go from zero to playboy in only one month? — CelebTrackers, November 16th, 2018_

=^..^=

Thanksgiving was just days away and Kurt was working up to some sort of nervous breakdown trying to prepare. For the first time, his family was coming out to him instead of him traveling back to Ohio and he wanted everything to be perfect. Blaine watched as he ran all over the house, making notes on things that needed to be done (floor-to-ceiling maid service, grocery shopping, find that pumpkin roll recipe that had been given to him last year) and things to do with the family while they were in town. He ordered new linens for the third bedroom and sofa bed, swearing that no guest in his house was going to sleep on anything less than 300 count sheets, no matter if they would even notice or not.

Kurt could be a force to be reckoned with when he started planning a project and Blaine had already learned that it was best to stay out of his way. He was sitting at the desk in his room, filling out a report for Bev, when Kurt stuck his head in the door.

“Blaine, what kind of pie do you want? I’m making pumpkin for dad, pecan for Carole, and apple for Finn. Oh, and a pumpkin roll. Do you have a favorite you want to add to the dessert extravaganza?”

“Thanks for the offer Kurt, that’s sweet, but there’s no need to worry about me. You have enough to deal with getting things ready for the four of you.”

“You mean the five of us.” Kurt saw Blaine’s confused look and stared him down. “You _are_ eating with us, right?”

“Well, I’d just planned on staying out of your way while your family was here, except, you know, when you go out. You don’t have to feel obligated to include me in dinner.”

“Blaine Anderson sometimes I think you are the most clueless person I know and that’s saying a lot, since I have Finn Hudson as a brother. Of course, you’re going to eat with us. You’re going to spend the whole time with us and I’m really not interested in hearing another word about it. Is Cooper in town? Should I invite him?”

“Umm…I’m pretty sure he’s going to spend it with his girlfriend.” Kurt raised an eyebrow and Blaine was appropriate chastised. “I mean, I’ll check with him and get back to you?”

Seemingly satisfied with his response, Kurt returned to the initial topic of discussion. “Good. Now, about that pie…”

=^..^=

The day before Thanksgiving arrived and Kurt’s family’s plane touched down around one o’clock. Kurt had wanted to pick them up from the airport himself, but Blaine convinced him to send the car and driver instead to make it easier on everyone. As the time they were expecting them at the house grew closer Blaine found himself pacing the living room nervously (which was very strange indeed, as Blaine was not normally a pacer). This was going to be the first holiday he’d spent with a family since high school and he was afraid he was very out of practice. In addition, he was apprehensive about meeting Kurt’s family. Kurt had told his dad over Skype about the letters and Blaine the day before they had gone public at the premier.  Kurt had been in his room with the door shut, but Blaine (who had been sitting in his own room at the time) had still been able to hear Burt yelling threats to come out to California and lay down the law. Remembering the sound of his anger still sent shivers down Blaine’s spine and he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the meeting was going to be a disaster.

The sound of a car door slamming echoed outside and Kurt went bounding out the front door before Blaine could suggest caution. He watched as Kurt ran to the car and threw himself into the arms of a rugged looking man dressed in jeans, plain blue button-down shirt, and a baseball cap. A sweet looking woman with bobbed hair and an extremely tall man around the same age as Kurt and Blaine, who Blaine recognized from the family photos Kurt had displayed in the house, exited the car next and were also engulfed in tight embraces. Soon they were all on their way inside and Blaine straightened his bow tie and sweater and ran a hand over his head to ensure that every hair was in place. It was time to face the music.

=^..^=

Kurt could barely contain his excitement at finally being the host for a major holiday. His dad and Carole did a great job and holidays at their house felt like home, but Kurt had been itching to take on hosting duties since the day he’d moved into a house with a full kitchen and separate dining room. He was in his element getting all the plans together and once the ridiculous idea of Blaine’s to hide out in his room for three days had been squashed (really, why on earth did he think Kurt would let him get away with that?) things were clear sailing.

His family arrived like a whirlwind. The last time Kurt had seen them was back in May, when he had flown them all out for his movie premier, so he was extra excited to see them again. After nearly knocking his dad over with his hug, he turned his attentions to Carole and Finn and then waited with only slightly impatient amusement as Burt proceeded to tell Bill that the car had sounded a little off and should be checked. Once they were inside Kurt made the introductions and watched as everyone sized Blaine up. He wasn’t worried — he had seen Blaine charm enough people (himself included) to know that they would soon be following him around like little puppy dogs. There were no hugs yet, but Blaine got a strong clap on the shoulder from Burt, which Kurt took as a positive sign.

Though Kurt could tell he was a little anxious, Blaine was his usual debonair, gentlemanly self and asked Carole how the flight had been before carrying the luggage to the guest room while they settled in to catch up with Kurt. Carole sat down beside Kurt and watched Blaine head off down the hallway. She sent a sly smile and leaned over to whisper, “The pictures don’t do him justice. So handsome and polite. He looks like a matinee idol.”

Kurt looked around quickly to make sure that neither Finn nor his dad had heard her comment before giving the slightest of nods. Carole managed to keep a straight face and began fawning over the house just as Blaine returned.

They sat around talking for several hours, discussing Kurt’s latest role and getting details from Blaine on the stalker investigation, until Kurt announced that they had 20 minutes before they needed to leave for their reservations at a steak restaurant for dinner. Burt perked up at the word ‘steak’ and sent Kurt a pleading expression. “Yes, dad, you can have a steak. But only a small one and you’d better have a salad too. Carole told me how good you’ve been about your diet.”

Burt and Carole retired to the bedroom to freshen up for dinner and Kurt pulled out his phone to confirm their reservation. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Blaine as he searched for something to say to Finn.

“Kurt said you’d be fine out here on the sofa bed, but I’m more than happy to switch with you if you’d like the bedroom.”

“No dude, this is good. The sofa’s like king size, which fits me better anyways.” Finn lay down on the sofa and stretched out to drive his point home. “Plus this way I can stay up late and play Xbox on the big screen.”

“I don’t have an Xbox, Finn,” Kurt reminded him, putting his phone back in his pocket.

“That’s okay, I brought mine!” Finn reached into his bag and pulled out the game console in question.

Kurt locked a semi-joking version of his death stare on him. “If you packed that thing and didn’t bring any clothes we are going to have a problem.”

“Course not. I brought an extra shirt.”

=^..^=

Even though Thanksgiving was at his house, Kurt was comforted to know that some things never changed. He and Carole still woke up early to prepare the turkey and slide it into the oven before camping out on chairs around the dining room table, armed with steaming cups of coffee, ready for a long lady chat. Finn still stumbled into the kitchen rubbing sleep out of his eyes and attempted to make off with one of the pies for his breakfast. Burt and Finn still planted themselves in front of the TV for a long day of football.

What made Kurt even happier were the things that were different that year. Blaine joined his and Carole’s chat after filling up their cups of coffee. Finn’s escape with the pie was thwarted when Blaine swooped in and removed it from his hands with some martial arts move that left Finn gaping and the yelling from the living room at the bad calls by the referees was a little louder once Blaine sat down, eager to cheer on his favorite team.

A strange sense of contentedness that was better left unexamined filled him as he saw how well Blaine fit in with his family. He knew Blaine wasn’t completely comfortable with family gatherings, given his own background, but in true Blaine fashion he had jumped in with both feet, determined to succeed.

As a loud roar erupted from the living room indicating some sporting catastrophe of epic proportions had occurred, Kurt laid out the recipes for the day’s dishes so that he and Carole could break down the work for cooking for seven people. Just the previous day, a few hours before the Hummel-Hudsons had arrived, Kurt had learned that Lynn was stuck in town due to work events on Friday and that his make-up artist, Christine, had put her daughter on a plane to Dallas so that she could spend the holiday with her father. Neither had family in town, so Kurt had invited them to join his little Thanksgiving party, telling them there would be more than enough food to go around (except they weren’t getting their own pies. There would no more pies). He’d been nervous about extending the invitations, since it was the first time he’d offered to spend time with them outside of work, but his fears had been proven unfounded when they had happily accepted.

Just as Kurt and Carole were about to roll up their sleeves and get cooking, Blaine appeared in the kitchen, offering to help.

“Don’t you like football, Blaine?” Carole asked as she began peeling potatoes.

“I do, actually, but there’s a lot to get done if we’re going to be ready to eat by 2 o’clock. I’ll just catch the highlights on the news or watch the game on the internet later.”

Carole shot Kurt a speaking look and stepped aside so that Blaine could start preparation on the stuffing recipe Kurt had handed him. Luckily, the kitchen was large and well-laid out, so they aren’t on top of each other and Kurt had baked the (many, many) pies the morning before, so dessert was thankfully already covered. A companionable silence settled over them as the smells of the holiday began to fill the house.

Before they knew it, Lynn and Christine had arrived and everyone was sitting down to eat. Burt gave a contented sigh as Kurt set the turkey down on the table. “I gotta admit, Kurt, I half expected you to have gone all Californian on us and try to serve one of those tofu turkey things and a bowl of leaves for dinner.”

Kurt passed Burt the carving knife and fork, happy to leave that tradition up to him. “Don’t worry, dad, you carnivores are safe with me. Though I did add some arugula and wild greens to the salad.” He caught Finn’s look of fear as he stared at the bowl of salad as if it might attack him. “Try it, it’s delicious.”

Food was passed around and eating habits gently ragged on (Finn wanted none of his food to touch on his plate. Lynn ate one food completely gone before moving to the next one on her plate in clockwise order). Kurt entertained with funny stories about the strange things he had experienced already in Hollywood and Blaine followed up with some bodyguard tales (names changed to protect the innocent) that had everyone howling. Despite the yearly exclamations that there was way too much food, soon the bowls and platters were emptying out. When the last fork was finally dropped on a plate everyone was sated and proclaiming they would never eat again (or would want dessert in 15 minutes, whichever came first).

Kurt brought the pies and pumpkin roll out with a flourish, performing a twirling trick with his knife that had Carole gasping nervously. Everyone settled in with a slice of their favorite sugary treat and sounds of enjoyment filled the air.

“Lynn, how’s it working with Kurt?” Burt asked, sneaking a bite of Carole’s slice of pecan pie. “Is it as hard for you to get him to do publicity as it was for me to get him to do chores at home?”

Kurt hurriedly swallowed a bite of pumpkin roll, anxious to defend himself. “Cleaning products weren’t good for my skin, dad. I kept telling you to buy me gloves. There was no way I was going around with dried out hands.”

“He’s great Burt. Not everything’s gone smoothly, but he’s handled it all like a champ,” Lynn laughed as she scoped up a forkful of pie.

Burt smiled proudly at his son before letting a crafty look cross his face. “Kurt loves to tell embarrassing stories about other people. How about you return the favor?”

Kurt paused, fork halfway to his mouth, and looked at Lynn with alarm. She just smiled serenely and thought for a moment. “Well, there was the one time our plane was late due to horrible weather and we had to go right to a red carpet event from the airport.” Kurt groaned and stuffed his mouth, chewing forcefully. “Kurt had to change in the back of the limo. It was dark and the clothes hadn’t been prepped correctly, so he put the entire outfit on inside out. We were about 10 steps out of the car when he realized – too late to go back. He did the whole red carpet like that and didn’t once let on.”

“I still can’t believe no one noticed,” Kurt muttered. “Philistines, the lot of them.”

“Or there’s the time he filmed a skit for that comedy website and the costume was so tight they ended up having to cut him out of it. Strangely enough, half of the office suddenly felt the need to turn up on set that day.”

Burt laughed at Kurt’s embarrassment. “Couldn’t have been any tighter than that outfit you were wearing when I caught you dancing with those girls in the basement.”

That led to Burt’s recounting of the _Single Ladies_ incident, which then somehow resulted in a hilarious account of Burt’s confusion when he had caught a flannel clad Kurt kissing a girl. Kurt, who had made peace with the incident years before, wondered aloud how the evening had turned into a humiliating version of _It’s Your Life_ , his over-dramatic, huffy tone telling everyone that he really didn’t mind at all.

Finn finished his third piece of pie and started in on a piece of pumpkin roll, oblivious to the flabbergasted looks of everyone else at the table. “It’s so weird for it not to be cold during Thanksgiving. We saw a bikini carwash in a parking lot on our way from the airport. California is awesome.”

“Aren’t you a little old to be impressed by girls in bikinis?” Kurt asked, afraid to even wonder where Finn could be putting all of that food.

Finn didn’t bother to look up, as he was absorbed in trying to scoop every bit of filling off his plate. “No man is ever too old to appreciate a good bikini. Except I’m sure you never…I mean… If it was a boxer shorts carwash by some Chippendale dancers you’d be all over it, right?” When there was no response he lifted his head and glanced around the table. “What? What’d I say?”

Kurt just raised an eyebrow and Blaine snickered while the others hid smiles behind their napkins.

=^..^=

Kurt had decided to forgo his usual after Thanksgiving shopping ritual and had instead made some appointments for Carole at a couple of boutique shops that would be able to outfit her in ensembles that would flatter her figure and not be too fancy to wear in Lima. Bill arrived at eight o’clock Friday morning and Kurt, Blaine, and Carole piled into the car. Burt and Finn had opted to stay at home and take the second step in what seemed to be a plan to turn Kurt’s living room into some clichéd man cave.

At Weekend in Paris, a darling little store that both Bev and Lynn had recommended, Kurt helped Carole select a few pairs of trousers and jeans that fit her perfectly. Kurt had introduced her to jeans that didn’t extend above her navel years before, and she’d been pretty good about buying the right styles, but there were no way she would find pants so nice at her local department store. The store was fancy enough that there were no price tags on the items and Kurt told Carole he was buying her the clothes as his upcoming Christmas present to her, never letting on how expensive the items were.

The next shop served them a lovely late morning tea as Carole tried on several dresses that would probably be a little too fancy for a dinner at Breadstix, but would be great for when Burt splurged and took her out for their anniversary. Kurt’s favorite was a blue dress with a pleated skirt and metallic accents, while Carole was torn between it and a lilac colored one with a peplum. She asked Blaine to break the tie and the saleswoman went to go wrap up the lilac dress. Kurt felt a little miffed that Blaine hadn’t sided with his clearly superior fashion taste, but he did have to admit that Carole looked lovely in lilac, so he let it pass.

Carole was about to change back into her normal clothes when Kurt pretended to have the spontaneous idea to have her try on some of the store’s more elegant gowns, just for fun.  Kurt didn’t want to jinx the upcoming award nominations, but he knew that if he was lucky enough to be included he wanted to bring Burt and Carole to at least one of the events. If that happened, Carole would need a dress to wear that would knock everyone’s sock off, so while she had been changing into the other dresses he had been conferring with the sales staff to pull together several gowns for her to try on.

The first two dresses were fine and might have worked, but Kurt didn’t see the sparkle he was looking for in Carole’s eyes. When she came out wearing a red number with long sleeves and a faux-shrug style neck he knew they had the right one. She stared at herself in the mirror, entranced, as if not believing the woman in the reflection was her. Fortunately, his practiced eye told him that the only alteration needed was to shorten the sleeves a few inches, so Kurt made a whispered request to the saleswoman as Carole changed out of the dress.

Kurt declared their shopping day a success and announced it was time to go, as he had made other plans for the rest of the day. As they left, Kurt caught Carole throwing a last longing look at the gown and he smiled, hoping that there would end up being a need for her to wear the dress he’d just secretly purchased.

Bill drove them back home, where they picked up Burt and Finn and they then drove to the studio where Kurt was currently filming his movie. They had a light lunch at the studio commissary, where Finn nearly tripped over his tongue when Kurt introduced him to an actress that he happened to know had graced a poster hanging in Finn’s room all through high school. They spent about two hours touring the lot and checking out the studios of some familiar TV shows. As they finished up their tour and headed back to the car, Kurt noticed Blaine hanging back a bit, as if trying to make himself unobtrusive. Kurt knew that Blaine had some ridiculous idea about trying to let Kurt enjoy time with his family without him interfering, but Kurt was having none of that.  He grasped Blaine’s arm under the pretense of having to keep up the boyfriend façade with so many people around, and pulled him into the heated debate he and Finn were having over where to have dinner that night. Kurt wanted to take the family to an elegant Vietnamese place he loved, while Finn was hot to try In-N-Out Burger.

“In-N-Out isn’t a place for a family dinner, Finn,” Kurt argued, looking to Blaine for support. “Tell him.  We can’t do fast food for their last dinner here.”

Blaine looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his neck before answering. “Actually, I could really go for a burger. I love that place.”

Kurt threw up his hands, knowing his attempt to expose his family to a little bit of culture and sophistication was a lost cause. “Argh! You’re peasants, all of you. Fine. Burgers.”

Finn gave a dopey smile and threw Blaine a high-five. “Great! Puck told me I have to order my burger ‘animal style.’” He paused for a moment, looking uncertain. “That doesn’t mean anything gross does it? I mean, it’s still going to be made of cow, not road kill or something, right?”

Kurt buried his face in Blaine’s shoulder, which was shaking suspiciously, not having the strength to comment.

They still had a few hours before dinner and no one in the Lima contingent had seen the Pacific Ocean before, so the decision was made to head out to Santa Monica, where they could walk the beach and even visit the famous Pier if they felt the need.

They played on the beach as a family for a bit and Finn and Blaine made a sand castle. The day wasn’t overly warm, but it was sunny and the tide was low, so it was still great beach weather.

After a while Burt pulled Kurt aside for a walk. Kurt looked back at Blaine, who nodded and let them go ahead, giving them some space to have a private conversation.

They walked peacefully for a bit, just enjoying being in each other’s company again, before Burt spoke his mind. “So how’s it really going, Kurt? And don’t give me that ‘days of wine and roses’ bull you tell me over the phone. I want the truth.”

“Things are good, dad, truly.” He paused at Burt’s skeptical look and sighed. “I just…miss the anonymity of New York, you know? Where you can do what you love and still walk into a coffee shop unmolested, where you can be an actor because of the art, not the fame. And film acting is so different. I never realized how much I got out of the audience, you know? It just isn’t the same.”

Burt dug his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders as he walked. “If it’s not what you want, then do something about it. Go back to New York.”

“If I leave now I’ll lose everything. I won’t get another shot at this.” Kurt stopped and turned to his dad, needing his guidance.

“Kurt, I know this has been your dream since you were a kid —hell, I’ve been to more basement performances, murder mystery nights, and competitions than any 20 guys I know and I’ll be first in line to run your personal eBay memorabilia store if you ever get around to wanting to sell all of that stuff we have packed away in that storage unit — but there’s no shame in reaching your intended destination and deciding it isn’t where you want to be.” Burt pulled his baseball hat off and ran a hand over his balding head. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, because it’s definitely something you have to figure out for yourself, but I do know you’re going to have to decide if this is really what you want, ‘cause bring rich and successful isn’t worth it if it makes you miserable. Just know that you are the best thing I ever did in my entire life and I’m proud of you no matter what you decide — movie star, Broadway actor, or ditch digger — it’s all the same to me as long as you’re happy.”

Kurt hugged him tightly, too choked up to respond. They broke apart and continued on their walk, until a shout of laughter brought their attention back down the beach to where a collie had broken away from a jogger and run over to Blaine, placing its front paws on his shoulders and licking every inch of his face it could reach. Blaine was laughing so hard he could barely push the dog away and it looked like the owner was apologizing profusely and trying to reign the dog back in. Kurt laughed with him, unaware that his expression was giving away more than he intended.

Burt looked from Kurt to Blaine and back again. “I thought you said this whole boyfriend thing was just a cover?”

“It is, dad,” Kurt said, suddenly finding the sand beneath his feet very fascinating.

“Don't look like it to me,” Burt scoffed in disbelief.

“Blaine is…He’s really supportive and probably the sweetest person I’ve ever met. I can’t believe all the things he’s done for me, helped me with. He’s wonderful…but we’re just friends. That’s all it is.”

 “Well, you might wanna ask yourself why you feel so comfortable around him, ‘cause this? How you are with him? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this before. I’m just sayin.”

=^..^=

Blaine was in awe of Kurt’s relationship with his family and how easily they had come to accept Blaine. From the moment they had stepped from the car there had been no awkward moments, no suspicious looks, and no one had made him feel like a gatecrasher or an employee. Even more surprising, though, had been the difference in Kurt himself. He was more open, light-hearted, and comfortable than Blaine had ever seen him.  Watching him interact with his family, seeing the small things he did to make them happy and the love that he obviously felt for them was inspiring. He felt like he had found that important puzzle piece, the one that suddenly brings the picture into focus and makes the rest of the pieces easier to place; for Kurt Hummel, that piece was his family. Blaine now understood how Kurt had managed to become the admirable person that he was despite the bad experiences he’d had growing up. He was glad that Kurt had had such a remarkable family, a support system that was there no matter what else was going on in his life and he only felt the slightest bit jealous that he hadn’t had the same himself.

The family’s trip was a quick one, though, and Burt, Carole, and Finn were packed up and ready to head back to the airport early Saturday morning.

Blaine held the door open for them as Kurt carried their bags out to the car. Carole pulled Blaine in for a tight hug and he savored the softness of her embrace and the light floral smell of her perfume. Kurt was exceptionally lucky to have such a wonderful step-mother. Finn was next and he gave Blaine a quick fist bump and a promise to play with him on Xbox Live if Blaine could convince Kurt to get a console.

They made their way to the car while Burt came over to stand next to Blaine, who was still standing by the front door. 

“The hardest thing about being a parent is watching as your kids become independent and leave you,” Burt said, watching Kurt give Carole some last minute tips on how to keep her skin hydrated during the flight. “They’re adults and need to take care of themselves, but you never forget what it was like that first day seeing them in the hospital, cleaning their first scraped knee, nursing them through their first broken heart. They grow up, but you never stop wanting to protect them.” He finally turned to look at Blaine. “When Kurt told me about the stalker and this whole stupid plan to fake having a boyfriend I wanted to fly out here, bundle him up, and take him back to Lima where I could keep a close watch on him, but he’s a man now and I know it’s not my job anymore. It is yours though and I’m trusting you to do right by him.”

Blaine felt himself get choked up, knowing that his own father would never have made such an impassioned speech about him. “I promise, Burt. I’d do anything for him.”  

Burt nodded, as if Blaine’s answer had been a foregone conclusion. “It was great meeting you, kid. Carole and I sure sleep a whole lot better knowing that Kurt isn’t alone out here.”

“It’s my pleasure, but Kurt was never alone. He’s got a good support system here.”

“But they’re all invested in his career, so that makes them…biased. He needs someone who’ll be there win, lose, or draw. Someone who sees the soul inside and not just the commodity. Anyways, thanks for protecting him. I know he isn’t always the easiest person, but he’s worth it.” Burt held out his hand.

Blaine grasped Burt’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “I know Burt, trust me.”

“Yeah, I think you do.”

Kurt gave his dad one last hug and promised to see him soon at Christmas. The car door slammed shut and they were off, the gate closing behind them.


	12. Chapter 12

_Check back tomorrow for our exclusive scoop on Kurt Hummel’s boy toy! Ever wonder where Blaine Anderson came from and how he succeeded in snagging one of Hollywood’s most eligible? His background uncovered! The sad trauma that shadows his past. His surprising Hollywood family connection! We’ve uncovered photos from his school days that answer your most burning questions_ _— What does that hair look like without all that product? Has he always been the master of the ‘heart eyes’? And just what color are those eyes, anyways? We’ve got the answers. — TeenHollywoodNews, November 26th, 2018_

=^..^=

The Monday after Thanksgiving had Kurt and Blaine dropping by Bev’s office for his monthly fan mail. As they approached Bev’s office, her assistant, Kellie, stood to show them to the right conference room. Blaine could see that she looked nervous as they followed her down the hallway. After learning that she had given Kurt’s address to Cooper, Blaine had called a meeting with her and Bev to discuss the situation. Bev had wanted to fire her, but Kurt had asked that she be given another chance, as long as she promised to never give information out about him again, even to people claiming to be Blaine’s brother. It had been a month since that meeting, but she was still tentative around them.

Kurt followed her to the boxes of fan mail and gave her a friendly smile when she tried to duck out of the room. “Kellie, how was your Thanksgiving?”

She performed a quick glance around the room as if looking for another ‘Kellie’, then it clicked that Kurt was actually speaking to her. “Good. Too good, actually. My boyfriend is a pastry chef and made the best pumpkin pie. I think I ate an entire one all by myself. And the tightness of my skirt has been reminding me of it all day long.” She patted her stomach ruefully, as if still full after four days.

Kurt laughed, taking the lid off of the first box of letters. “We had four different kinds of pie at my house and I still had to hide a few pieces in the back of the fridge so we could have them with left overs on Saturday. I think my brother thought it was his own personal duty to eat up all the desserts to keep them away from my dad. I found three pecans and two forks in the cushions of my couch after he left. I’m surprised they didn’t have to tack some extra weight fees on him for the flight back.”

Blaine watched them share a few other holiday stories, glad that Kellie was loosening up again. As a follow-up after the incident in the garage a check had been done on all of the employees at the agency, as well as the security guards and parking attendants — anyone who might have known Kurt was going to be in the building — but nothing of concern had been found and it seemed as if all the employees had been accounted for during the vandalism, so they were back at square one. Though Blaine had hated that they had had to investigate so many people, he was glad to know that Kurt was safe in the building and that he didn’t have to worry when Kurt was friendly with anyone he knew there.

The following days were taken up with more training, trying to get Kurt ready for his audition. Though Kurt was getting stronger and more confident in his abilities, their sessions together were making it harder and harder for Blaine to act like everything was normal. Watching Kurt flex, kick, and stretch for hours a day was starting to wear on him, but that wasn’t the only problem he faced. Ever since Thanksgiving he could no longer pretend that his attraction to Kurt was only physical. When he saw the light in Kurt’s eyes spark as he picked up a new move or heard him make a self-deprecating comment when he was less than graceful, Blaine wanted to draw him into his arms and hold on tight.

The turning point came sooner than he had imagined.

Thursday afternoon Blaine walked into the gym to find Kurt dancing instead of practicing his kicks. He was going through one of his dance number from _Defiance_ , which Blaine remembered all too well from the stage show, due to the embarrassing _effect_ it had had on him in the theater. The dance involved lots of high kicks and hip gyrations, which were impressive and entertaining and it was exciting to see it up close and personal. Blaine lurked in the doorway for a few minutes, liking the pieces of his own personality that Kurt was adding to the dance now that he was just doing it for fun. Then Kurt began to sing along with the music.

Blaine had often heard Kurt sing since he had moved in. He warm-up his voice daily and had a vocal lesson once a week that Blaine often sat in on, not to mention the numerous times that Kurt had sung along with the music in the car, but there was something different about this time. There was a tone in his voice that reached right down into Blaine’s chest and squeezed, emptying all the air from his lungs. Blaine moved his eyes to the wall-to-wall mirrors on the far side of the room and caught Kurt’s gaze in the reflection.

As soon as their eyes met the tension increased ten-fold. Kurt continued his dance, not taking his eyes off of Blaine. His movements became more sensual as he dropped the more complicated steps of choreography entirely. His hips swiveled and his arms stretched over his head as he arched his back. He moved up to the bar attached to a section of the mirror and grasped it with both hands, keeping a firm hold as he bent at the knees and swung down into a move low to the floor.

As Kurt raised himself back up to a standing position, Blaine’s control broke. He stalked forward, not stopping until he stood directly behind Kurt, so close he could feel the heat coming off of his body. Their eyes continued to hold in the mirror as Blaine reached an arm around Kurt’s waist and pulled him back until they are pasted against each other from neck to thigh. Blaine paused to give Kurt time to object or pull away, but instead Kurt reached a hand back and up into Blaine’s hair, twisting the strands around his fingers and pulling slightly, until Blaine lowered his head and placed a wet, open-mouthed kiss on the spot where Kurt’s shoulder and neck met.

=^..^=

Just as Kurt started going through his workout, his iPod began playing the _Defiance_ original Broadway cast soundtrack. His big, emotional solo, which was the high point of his character’s arc, came on and before he knew it he found himself dancing, the muscle memory from 372 performances still as fresh as the day he’d made his final curtain call. When the song ended he reached over and set it to repeat, this time starting the dance from the very beginning. On the third repetition he was about a quarter of the way through when he saw a flash of movement in the mirror and caught Blaine watching him from the doorway. Kurt flushed for a moment with embarrassment at being caught and almost stumbled, but then he saw Blaine’s eyes, heavy-lidded and shadowed with what Kurt could only interpret as hungry yearning. 

As the meaning of that look sunk in, it was as if the room held its breath, waiting for Kurt to react. His limbs continued to go through the motions of the dance on autopilot, as his mind and body warred with each other for control of his next actions. His body was crying out for him to make a move, to pounce on Blaine like a bridezilla at a wedding dress sample sale. His mind warned him to exercise caution, for he had misread cues in the past and had been hurt before.

It didn’t end up being much of a fight.

He was tired of playing it safe. He was tired of pretending he didn’t want the things he wanted. He was tired of going to bed with only his right hand for company. He was tired of being alone.

Mind and body re-engaged and the dance turned into a seduction, his body moving across the room in a carnal way that should have surprised him, but didn’t. He caught Blaine’s gaze and held it, trying to communicate all of his feelings, all of his wants and desires.

Kurt saw the moment that Blaine made his decision and held his breath as Blaine came to stand behind him. He offered no protest when Blaine stepped closer and brought their bodies together, his back tucked snuggly against Blaine’s compact form.  There was a silent question in Blaine’s eyes, an offered final opportunity to stop before they headed down this new path, one last chance to remain as they were. Knowing that this was the point of no return, Kurt answered by running his hand up to Blaine’s head and knitted his fingers into the curls that had tempted him for so long.

He arched his back at the touch of Blaine's lips on his neck. He closed his eyes and dropped his head to the side, giving Blaine easier access. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening and he wasn’t totally convinced that he wasn’t going to wake up alone in bed, the victim of another hyper-realistic dream. He pushed away the tiny voice in the back of his head that whispered about his past romantic failures.

The moist imprint of Blaine’s mouth sunk into his skin and he tightened his fingers in Blaine’s hair, desperate to communicate, but unable to formulate any words. The temperature in the room seemed to raise 20 degrees as Blaine kissed his way down Kurt's neck, over the freckles that had never totally disappeared and past the strap of his tank top to the tip of his shoulder, before reversing course and moving back up until his lips touched the soft skin behind Kurt's ear.

“You won’t believe how long I’ve wanted to do this,” Blaine admitted, the huskiness of his voice betraying his desire. Moving his mouth back to Kurt’s neck, Blaine pressed harder and added a little suction, drawing Kurt's skin in and tonguing it softly. The movement must have connected with a nerve that travelled directly to his cock, because Kurt felt all of his blood rush south as he began to harden.

When Blaine added a bit more pressure and the kiss became a nip, Kurt spun around, his mouth searching for, and finally finding, Blaine's. Months of frustration and sexual tension poured into the kiss as tongues jousted and lips devoured. Blaine gasped as Kurt licked his way into his mouth and latched onto his tongue, sucking hard in a sensual imitation of another act that had been on Kurt’s mind since the first time he’d seen Blaine’s plump, pouty lips.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist to pull him in closer, and Kurt followed willingly, desperate to feel their bodies pressed tightly together. He groaned as his cock rubbed against Blaine’s, thrilled to feel that he too was also on his way to full arousal. He shifted a little to the left to bring their bodies into better alignment and felt Blaine push him back against the mirror. He undulated his hips to create a friction that hinted at the pleasures to come.

Kurt threw his arms around Blaine's neck and broke off the kiss, gasping. "Is this really happening? Because my dreams have been getting pretty vivid of late and I..." He trailed off and tightened his arms as he brought their mouths together once again. He attacked Blaine's mouth aggressively, entangling their tongues together before drawing back with Blaine’s bottom lip caught lightly between his teeth.

In the back of his mind, Kurt knew that they were probably moving a little fast, that they should take a moment and talk, but every time a thought of pausing swam up from the depths of his brain, a bolt of electricity would flare across his nervous system forcing it back under again.

The mirror behind him squeaked as Blaine’s hand moved up the glass until finally, Blaine cupped the back of his head and used the hold to better angle Kurt’s head in order to deepen the kiss. Kurt felt the sensation rush down his spine to the pit of his stomach and he inhaled at the answering throb from his now full erection. Blaine pulled his arms back until his hands sat on Kurt's hips and he slowly turned Kurt around until he was again facing the mirror. He stripped off Kurt’s tank top and slid his hands slowly up his back to his shoulders, before moving down to grasp his wrists lightly. He pressed Kurt's hands against the glass and moved them upward, inch-by-inch until their hands rested high above their heads. His eyes met and held Kurt's in the mirror as he let go, Kurt obeying the silent request to keep his hands where they were, splayed out as if he was trying to push his way into his reflection in the mirror.

Nudity, even partial, was nothing Kurt had ever become comfortable with and he had to fight back the inclination to cover his body and shield himself from Blaine’s eyes. He knew this wasn’t the time to shy away from the things he wanted. It was the time to be bold, so he remained where he was, allowing Blain to look his fill.

Blaine pulled back until he was no longer touching Kurt at all, then leaned forward and ran his tongue along Kurt's jawline, making Kurt self-conscious about his light five o'clock shadow (note to self, always shave before dancing seductively). When he reached the soft spot under his ear, Blaine continued on, licking his way down and around Kurt’s neck before starting down his spine, taking his time to feel and moisten each and every bump along the way. Kurt felt himself tremble beneath Blaine’s tongue and fought a battle to remain still, not wanting to break the spell of the moment. He nearly lost it when Blaine dropped down to his knees and continued his exploratory journey as if determined to taste every spot on Kurt's body that had tempted him since they had met. The trail of hot kisses drifted lower, taking a side trip as Blaine mouthed at the lines of the muscles of his lower back. After lingering there for a few minutes that had Kurt squirming in anticipation, Blaine returned to his original course before stopping at the point where the shelf of Kurt's ass began.

Kurt wheezed as Blaine finally laid his hands on him again, the solid feeling of his flesh almost sensory overload after the slow, slick movements of just his tongue. He held his breath as Blaine slid his fingers up the outside of his thighs until he reached his hips, where he exuded a bit of pressure, turning Kurt around again slowly. As Kurt turned, Blaine’s tongue was joined by his lips and he kissed his way around Kurt's body, just above the mounds of his buttocks, along the waist, and across the sharp V that disappeared inside his loose dance pants. Kurt sank back against the mirror once again, grateful for the support it provided. He laid his head back against the glass, eyes closed and chin raised, the tendons in his neck stretching as he sunk further into a hazy lust.

Not finished yet, Blaine set about learning the topography of Kurt's torso and chest, his lips and tongue tracing each muscle, each line engraved in the skin. "I knew you would look like this," he breathed against Kurt, as he brushed his lower lip back and forth over the skin covering his ribs. Kurt shivered, savoring the feeling of the friction against his sensitive flesh. "Pale and hard, like you were carved out of marble—"

Kurt sloppily grabbed Blaine's hair and forced his head back until he was looking up. "If you say something about Mount Olympus and how my throbbing member should be gilded with gold I'm going to have to seriously rethink this whole thing."

Kurt loosened his grip and Blaine returned to his former position and smiled into Kurt's belly. "No, I'll leave that for the girls on the internet. I have very different plans for your 'throbbing member.'"

Kurt's laughter devolved into a groan as Blaine continued his lick-by-lick excursion, stopping at his right nipple and flicking it with his tongue before catching it between his teeth and tugging lightly. Kurt growled at the movement and placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders, pushing him back slightly.

Blaine pouted at being denied the rest of his exploration, but his pout turned into a smile when Kurt pulled him up and took his hand, leading him towards the master bedroom.

Though no one else was in the house, Kurt still shut the bedroom door, the instinct for privacy winning out over common sense. He stripped the comforter from the bed and sat on the edge, holding both hands out to Blaine. After stopping a second to kick his shoes off, Blaine joined him, sliding one knee onto the mattress next to him and propping himself up with a hand of either side of Kurt's hips as he leaned in for another kiss.

Needing to finally take some action himself, Kurt turned slightly and pushed on Blaine’s shoulders until he was laying spread out on the mattress. Kurt followed him down, lying diagonally across his body. As it so often was with Kurt, he became lost in the textures: the smoothness of skin, the roughness of stubble, the flexing of muscle beneath skin, the feeling of goose bumps against his tongue, eyelashes against his lips. He raised an eyebrow teasingly and ran a hand lightly up Blaine's side, laughing as Blaine twitched as his fingers tickled the sensitive flesh. "I've wanted to do this for two months," he said, bringing his hand beneath him slightly to palm Blaine's hardened cock. "It's been a while, though. I hope I remember where everything goes."

Blaine panted at the touch, his breath coming in puffs timed with the back-and-forth flicking of Kurt’s thumb. "Somehow I don't think that'll be a problem, but we can start with the easy stuff, just in case."

The next moments were a blur of clothes flying and kisses placed on newly uncovered areas and suddenly they were both naked and Kurt was again covering Blaine with his body. He slid upward until their cocks slotted together perfectly and they both gasped out loud as pleasure sparked up their bodies. They lay stunned for a moment, then Kurt kissed Blaine deeply and he set up a lazy rocking motion.

Kurt was floating on a cloud of pleasure, surprised, yet not really, at the connection between them, how the pleasure he saw in Blaine’s eyes and could feel in the tremors that racked his body, were augmenting his own. Nothing he had imagined had come close to the reality of being with Blaine like this, no fantasy could have prepared him for the combination of their obvious physical chemistry paired with the intellectual and emotional connection that had been strengthening between them over the past several months.

His movements grew a little faster and the need for a little lubrication became difficult to ignore, so he rose up on his knees and reached into a bedside drawer, drawing out a small bottle. He poured some of the liquid onto his hand and returned to Blaine with a sultry smile. He reached down to coat them both with the lube and Blaine yelped at the cold.

"I'm sorry," Kurt smiled into a kiss, nipping at Blaine's lips and reaching down to rub his cock quickly and firmly. "I should have warmed that up first."

"I don't know, I kind of like how you're warming it up now better," Blaine quipped as he returned the favor and gripped Kurt's dick in one hand.

They lay there for a moment, hands crossed between them as they explored each other with their eyes and hands. Kurt grasped Blaine tightly in his fist, realizing with a thrill that Blaine was endowed with a beautiful pink cock that was longer and thicker than average. Kurt knew he was no slouch in that area either and his mind raced with the possibilities.

Finally, the sensations got to be too much and they needed more. Kurt rolled back over Blaine and they sighed simultaneously as their cocks fitted together like two puzzle pieces, trapped between their writhing bodies. Kurt began a rocking motion again, this time harder and faster than before. Their kisses became desperate as their movements grew wilder. Blaine's arms were wrapped around Kurt's waist, his hands pressing on his back, pushing their bodies together until nothing existed between them. Kurt reached out and grabbed the sheets as an anchor to reality, clenching them in his fists against the pleasure surging through his body.

Kurt felt the familiar tightening low in his belly as his orgasm approached and he fought against it, not wanting the moment to end. He felt Blaine’s toes curl against his and knew that he was reaching the finishing line also. Blaine ripped his lips from Kurt’s and dug his face into his neck as he came, the soft gasps and hitching breaths echoing through the room. Seconds later Kurt followed him over the edge with a cry, burying his lips in Blaine’s hair and digging his hands into the muscles of Blaine’s back. 

As their breathing returned to normal and their bodies cooled, Kurt pressed his head closer, laying his cheek on Blaine's chest. He felt more relaxed, more comfortable and at peace with himself than he had in months, possibly years, and let the calm wash over him. He squeaked a bit as Blaine gently rolled over, taking him with him. Blaine looked down on him with a contented smile that caused an answering jolt from somewhere deep in his chest.

Blaine kissed his nose and lifted himself off of the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom, returning seconds later with a warm washcloth that he silently used to clean both of them off with. He tossed the cloth to the side and pulled the comforter back onto the bed before climbing in and covering them both. Kurt snuggled up next to him, enjoyment at being the little spoon radiating from every pore. He gave a deep sigh and wiggled until he found the perfect spot then drifted off to sleep, sure that Blaine would soon follow.


	13. Chapter 13

_Given the short duration of most Hollywood relationships, it has often been wondered which is better:  to date someone within the entertainment industry or outside of it? Dating someone inside the business has definite advantages, since the partner understands the demands of the job and is less likely to be upset by the physical intimacy required for on-screen love scenes. But there are perils to be had also, as jealousies over success and money have been the downfall of many a celebrity couple. Those stars who date ‘normal’ people, like actor Kurt Hummel, who recently announced his relationship with nanny Blaine Anderson, have to deal with a significant other who never signed up to live under the celebrity microscope and who may not be comfortable with the attention and notoriety that follows. In some cases, like that of Anderson, there may also be speculation that the star is being taken advantage of, being used by their non-famous companion in order to gain fame or a career for themselves._

_No matter which path they choose, the romantic lives of famous personalities are not easy ones. — thebeatandthebuzz, November 28th, 2018_

=^..^=

Blaine dreamt that he was a farmer caring for an entire herd of tea cup pigs. They ran here and there on tiny little legs and were as hard to contain as cats. When he finally caught one he picked it up and it opened its mouth and beeped at him over and over. The dream broke apart and Blaine began to swim up into consciousness, but the beeping remained. Finally, he was awake enough to realize that the noise came from his phone, tucked into the pocket of his jeans that were draped over the chair next to the bed. He moved an arm towards it, careful not to disturb Kurt, who was spread out over his chest. He was finally able to snag the material with his fingers and pulled the pants close enough so that he could fish out the offending device. He silenced the alarm and groaned, remembering that he had an appointment that morning that he couldn’t miss.

His company required that all employees undergo regular testing and certification for a laundry list of skills and today was Blaine’s physical evaluation. He had notified Bev and they had agreed that Kurt could stay home by himself as long as he promised not to leave the house. Kurt had grumbled something about people in prison having more freedom, but he hadn’t really tried to argue. Blaine looked at his phone again, seeing that he only had 20 minutes before the car was going to come pick him up. He had planned on driving himself, but Kurt had insisted that he let Bill drive him where he needed to go instead, saying that Bill had a grandkid on the way and could use the extra hours. Blaine scooted Kurt to the side gently and slipped out of bed, kissing him on the forehead before slipping out to his own room to dress. Kurt woke enough to smile softly at him and watched him go. After dressing, Blaine returned to Kurt’s room and kissed him awake again, reminding him of the appointment and promising to be back before Kurt needed to leave for a costume fitting at the studio.

After a little small talk with Bill, Blaine let his thoughts wander as he stared out the window of the car. He couldn’t stop replaying the events of the previous night in his head. It had been amazing, mind blowing, incredible, astonishing, and a thousand other superlatives that all boiled down to it being one of the best nights of his life. The chemistry between them had been nothing like he’d ever experienced and it made him regret all the time that they had both fought their attraction. Neither one of them had said anything yet, but he was sure that there were feelings involved on both sides and he couldn’t wait to get home to talk to Kurt about it. The thoughts of Kurt made him reach for his phone, so that he could send Kurt a quick message, but after patting his pockets several times he realized he had left his phone on Kurt’s bedside table. Oh well, it could wait.

Bill pulled up to the front door of the testing facility and Blaine hopped out, promising to call when he was ready to be picked up. As he changed into his workout clothes he pushed all thoughts of Kurt aside. He had tests to ace.

Hours later, Blaine arrived back at the house and dropped his keys and a small paper sack on the entry table before hanging his coat up in the closet. He looked at the clock on the wall and grinned; the tests hadn’t taken as long as he had expected, so he was back a few hours early. Maybe Kurt was up for a repeat performance before they had to leave for the studio.

Kurt’s door was open slightly and it sounded like he was on the phone, so Blaine paused, not wanting to interrupt. He was about to turn away when Kurt said something that stopped him dead.

“I think the fact that you were okay with me being by myself today proves that I don’t really need a daily bodyguard anymore. It’s been over a month since the thing with the car and that was probably just the last gasp of an overblown crush. I bet we never hear from them again.” Kurt paused, obviously listening to the response of the person on the other end of the line. “I just…Bev, this whole bodyguard thing makes me so uncomfortable and the close quarters is leading to some…misunderstandings.” There was another pause. “No, he hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s just – just not working out, that’s all.”

Blaine felt the bottom drop out of his stomach as the air rushed out of the room. Kurt thought their night together had been a mistake and he obviously couldn’t wait to get Blaine far, far away from him. Once again Blaine wasn’t good enough, wasn’t worth keeping around. He felt a pressure behind his eyes as tears threatened. Why had he expected anything different?

Well, at least this way he got the news all at once, like a Band-Aid ripped off in one swift pull instead of the long drawn-out ‘maybe they’ll love me if I’m smarter, stronger, better’ drama he‘d experienced with his parents. It shouldn’t hurt so much, given how new the turn in his and Kurt’s relationship was, but it felt like a huge loss, maybe because it wasn’t just the loss of a ‘something’, but a loss of a ‘could have been’. Blaine braced himself against the wall with one hand, his head dropping down until his chin hit his chest. It was for the best then that they hadn’t talked about feelings or the future. It would have hurt all the more to have his feelings thrown back in his face.

This was his fault really. It had been so unprofessional to get involved with a client, especially one he was living with. It compromised his ability to protect Kurt and led to —what was the word Kurt had used? Ah, yes — misunderstandings.

He had two options, really: he could resign and let Bev hire someone else to protect Kurt or he could stay and ignore everything that had happened the night before. Leaving would be the responsible decision; another bodyguard would almost certainly do a better job given the circumstances and it would be the better thing for Kurt, who obviously didn’t want him there any longer. He’d just call Bev in the morning and let her know. He’d give her a few days to find a replacement and help them craft a story explaining his departure.

After a few moments it registered that Kurt was still talking with Bev and it sounded like she was unwilling to grant his request to relieve Blaine of his position. Blaine backed up silently, picked up his keys and bag and left the house, closing the door behind him. He counted to a hundred then walked back through the door, making sure to make a lot of noise this time, professional mask tightly in place.

=^..^=

Kurt hung up the phone and was suddenly overwhelmed with relief that Bev hadn’t taken his suggestion.

Things had started out smoothly that morning. He’d fallen back asleep after Blaine left and had woken up an hour later to the strange feeling of being alone in the house for the first time in almost three months. He’d been halfway out of bed when memories of the night before flooded over him and he’d fallen back onto the mattress and rolled around, screaming into his lilac-sprigged silk comforter like a teenage girl. After five minutes (okay, ten minutes) of writhing around with a stupid grin on his face, he’d finally gotten up and put on a favorite outfit that always made him feel good (even more so after having seen the “Kurt’s Ass Looks Great In These Jeans” gif set on Tumblr). The jeans were distressed just enough to be fashionable without looking like he was trying too hard and the light pink Henley was tailored to perfection and skimmed nicely along his biceps. The gray wool vest was vintage from the 1940s and the whole thing was topped off by an exquisite gray tie dotted with little cog wheels, like the inside of an exploded clock.

Then things had started to go wrong. Left to his own devices he’d had too much time to think and began to panic and second guess himself. He knew the situation was different, but it still felt too much like the one-night-stands in his past, when a guy he’d been with practically left behind a man-shaped hole in the door in his hurry to leave after the deed was done. Many of those too had started out with a seductive dance that led to an almost wordless hook-up. As he spiraled into a pit of self-doubt he kept hoping for a call or text from Blaine, anything to reassure him, but nothing came. I told himself that Blaine was busy and that the silence meant nothing, but it didn’t help.

In the end, all he could picture was Blaine coming back from his meeting and telling Kurt that while it had fun, their night together had been a mistake and that Kurt wasn’t what he was looking for. Caught up in his doomsday scenario he’d found himself with the phone in his hands, looking to head off the heartbreak he just knew was coming. Thankfully unlike him, Bev was a calm, rational person and had categorically denied his request.

He heard the door open and the sound of keys hitting a hard surface and his heart began beating loudly in his ears. Blaine was back earlier than expected and the combination of excitement and the residual fear he still hadn’t been able to shake made his limbs tremble as he walked out to greet him. He came around the corner and found Blaine hanging his coat up, his sweater riding up to expose that wonderful rear end that had been one of the first things Kurt had noticed about him. “Welcome back,” he called out softly. “It seemed so strange to have the house all to myself today.”

Blaine didn’t look up as he began sorting through a pile of mail that he must have picked up from the post office while he was out. “I’m sure you made good use of your time,” he said tersely as he separated the mail into two piles.

Kurt frowned, a little taken aback at how distant Blaine was being. There was no eye contact, no warmth, nothing.  If he didn’t know better he would have thought he had imagined the previous night. “Did the tests not go well?”

“They were fine. Passed with flying colors.” Blaine picked up the smaller pile of mail and walked towards Kurt.

Thinking that Blaine was coming to him, Kurt reached out to grasp his hand, but Blaine shied away before they touched and continued off down the hallway. Kurt watched him go in confusion, trying not to be hurt by the rejection. He followed Blaine to his room and watched as he toed his shoes off, kicking them into the closet. “Is something wrong? Did we get another letter?”

“No, everything’s fine, but I have to shower before we leave for the studio, so if you don’t mind?” Blaine herded Kurt back through the door, shutting it in his face. Kurt stood motionless in the hallway until he heard the shower start.

For a minute Kurt wondered if he had been right in his earlier paranoid thoughts. Maybe Blaine _was_ rejecting him, but since they worked together he wanted to pretend as if things hadn’t changed between them. He replayed the last few minutes in his mind. Blaine’s attitude wasn’t so much one of disinterest as one of anger and hurt. Had he done something to make Blaine mad at him? Kurt retreated to his room, not wanting to push things. If Blaine didn’t want him he wasn’t going to push it. He would play along and try to act like nothing had happened, like his heart wasn’t slightly cracked.


	14. Chapter 14

_Who wants to see a Kurt Hummel/Blaine Anderson sex tape? Kurt’s people are denying that such a tape exists, but someone is claiming to have such a recording, which is said to be steamy and kinky and will change our view of the up until now clean-cut star. If the tape does prove to be legit, how long do you think it will be before the sexy couple is claiming the “private” video was “stolen”? It seems unlikely that the tape is really of the famous couple, but even if it just features look-alikes, go ahead and sign us up for a copy. — TheGossipShop, November 29th, 2018_

=^..^=

By the time they got back home after the fitting Kurt had had just about enough. All afternoon Blaine had acted even more impersonally than he had in their first days together. There had been no smiles, no guiding hands on his back as they exited the car, nothing. Kurt was waiting in the living room, hands on hips and temper in a boil, when Blaine came in from the garage. “If you think you’re impressing me with your cold shoulder act you’d better think again. I’ve witnessed more hissy fits, tantrums, and cold freezes than you can expect to see in your entire lifetime. I come from the theater, remember? If you’ve got something to say spit it out. Say it to my face.”

“I’m just trying to keep things professional between us. I wouldn’t want there to be any more _misunderstandings_ ,” Blaine ground out.

“Mis…Oh god.” The anger drained out of Kurt immediately, leaving behind an aching, empty hollow. “You heard me, didn’t you? On the phone? Blaine, no…no, it wasn’t…I didn’t…” Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “I was scared. We went from zero to sex so quickly and didn’t talk…it just seemed like maybe I seduced you into doing something you weren’t ready for, you know? I really, really like you and I-I’ve played this game before and I’ve always lost. I’m not the one that gets the guy, gets the happy ending. And without you here today I somehow managed to convince myself that you don’t feel the same way that I do, that I just made most of it up in my head and-and I just… I regretted what I said to Bev as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I swear. Please, I—“ His words were cut off as Blaine stepped forward and gripped his arms above the elbow.

"You deserve every happy ending, Kurt. You’re kind, opinionated, talented, judgmental, generous…“ Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I just wish you had waited to talk to me. You were just so quick to throw this away, to dismiss what happened and when I heard you on the phone with Bev I… I guess it just reopened some old wounds.”

Kurt’s heart rose up in his throat at Blaine’s words. He cupped Blaine’s cheek in one hand while he cradled the back of his head with the other, playing with the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. “I’m so, so sorry. You don’t understand how much.” He tilted his head down and kissed Blaine softly, trying to convey in that one small gesture everything he was feeling. “You are the most wonderful man. I’m so lucky to have met you. It won’t happen again, I swear.” The second kiss was innocent enough at first, just lips pressing and arms embracing, but the heat slowly rose between them and their movements grew a little bolder.

Kurt licked against the seam of Blaine’s lips, asking for entrance, and when Blaine granted him access, Kurt surged forward, kissing him with his whole body. Despite what had occurred between them the night before, Kurt still found that he was overcome with the sensations.  He’d only been kidding when he’d told Blaine he hoped he remembered where everything went, but his joke only masked other real concerns. It wasn’t that he didn’t know the physical steps to take next; it was that his thought process was melting down along with his nerve endings and he was afraid he might devolve into a pre-verbal version of himself that was only able to communicate through grunts and groans of pleasure.

They’d only been kissing for a few minutes, but it was long enough for his body to become overwhelmed and his knees to begin to shake, threatening to give out and send him tumbling to the ground. He decided to avoid that potentially embarrassing situation and put a little pressure on Blaine’s shoulders to move them both down to the living room floor, pushing the low-slung table aside to make more room. He settled in on top of Blaine (his new favorite spot in the world) and slipped a hand behind Blaine’s neck to support his head as he drank Blaine in. His other hand began a wandering journey over Blaine’s body, never staying still for very long as it rubbed at his chest and side. He inhaled sharply as Blaine tugged the tail of his shirt from his jeans and ran his hand up under his shirt and waistcoat, fingers gripping his bare skin. With his mouth and hands occupied, Kurt’s cock was now screaming for attention, so he adjusted slightly to slide between Blaine’s legs, his hips beginning a lazy movement that didn’t satisfy, but at least took the edge off.

Blaine bent his legs and wrapped them around Kurt’s hips, wedging them together tighter. He slid his hand underneath Kurt’s waistband and pushed his ass downward, allowing for greater friction between them.  As the frotting gained momentum, Kurt broke their kiss, pulling back just enough to see Blaine’s face. They smiled and traded breathless laughs until their passion pulled them back together and they kissed again, still smiling. Their feet intertwined, their toes and heels digging into the carpet trying to find purchase to aid them in increasing the tempo of their movements.

Kurt cried out as Blaine tightened his legs and moved upwards in a particularly strong thrust. He enveloped Blaine in his arms, gripping his shoulders from the back in order to hold him securely, not wanting them to slip out of alignment. Suddenly the muted sensations of their bodies pressing against each other through their clothing wasn’t enough, so Kurt let go and straightened up onto his knees. He finished unbuttoning his waistcoat and peeled it off, folding it hastily before tossing it on the sofa. He stripped off his Henley and sent it flying as he dropped back down.

The giant smile on Blaine’s face caused his eyes to narrow, crowded out by the apples of his cheeks. “Your penchant for dressing in layers might be a problem. I don’t know if my patience is up to the challenge.”

“I compromise my fashion choices for no one,” Kurt warned. “Learn. To. Be. Creative,” he punctuated each word with a kiss as he moved back to sit on his legs and brought Blaine up with him so that he was straddling Kurt’s lap. He bunched the material of Blaine’s shirt in his hands, scrunching his fingers until he’d pulled the shirt loose. He whipped it over Blaine’s head and dropped it over his shoulder.

There was more kissing and laughing as the sheer joy in being together spilled out of them along with their whimpers of pleasure. Their hands were moving constantly, roaming over muscles, testing the softness of secret places newly discovered.

He nuzzled Blaine’s neck and Blaine responded by angling his head back as Kurt sucked on his pulse point, laving his tongue over the light mark he left there. Blaine’s eyes darkened at the motion and Kurt made a mental note for later. He had other plans in mind for now.

He tipped Blaine backwards again, laying him out on the carpet with his legs still around Kurt’s hips, heels digging into his ass, pulling him as close as possible. Kurt shimmied free and began to place feather-light kisses as he made his way down Blaine’s chest, his hands skimming over the light dusting of hair covering the smooth skin underneath. His hands touched denim and he paused. He tilted his head back slightly and looked up at Blaine from underneath his lashes. “Is this okay?”

“If you stop now I think I might cry,” Blaine rasped, the fire in his eyes backing up his words.

Now that he had permission to proceed, Kurt tried to gather his courage around him. While blow jobs were what most of his sexual experiences had consisted of, he had never been very self-assured about his skills, having been coached a little too actively a few too many times. Plus, he hadn’t had a lot of recent practice and if there was ever an activity where practice made perfect, this was it. It was not the time to let his lack of confidence show, though, so he gathered himself and reached for Blaine’s belt, letting his anticipation rise to the surface to bury his trepidation.

He slid the leather free of the buckle and tugged on the end until the belt began to pull free from Blaine’s jeans. Once he had the belt off entirely he grasped it in both hands and swung the end in the air in a wide circle, like a stripper might swing a removed glove. Blaine chuckled, but the sound was choked off as Kurt dropped the belt to the side and undid the buttons of his fly before sliding a hand down the front of his jeans and cupping him gently. He stopped for a moment to savor the sensation, enjoying the heat radiating off of Blaine, the growing hardness underneath his palm.

Kurt slipped his fingers into Blaine’s belt loops and gave a hard tug, pulling his pants slowly downward inch-by-inch. He had planned to pull them off completely, but when he got them to Blaine’s lower hips he looked down to see Blaine’s cock, covered, but in no way hidden, by his underwear, framed by the opening in the pants, supported and thrust upwards for his viewing pleasure. Unable to help himself, Kurt leaned forward and kissed Blaine through his boxer-briefs. Blaine caught his breath and his erection pulsed correspondingly against Kurt’s lips as it hardened even more.

That encouragement was all that Kurt needed, so he quickly finished divesting Blaine of his clothing and stretched out between his legs. He laid his cheek against Blaine’s thigh and just breathed him in, the musky, but not unpleasant smell washing over him. He wanted to take his time and discover all the little things about Blaine that few people would ever know, like the neat way he kept his pubic hair groomed, the three moles that formed a triangle low on his hip, or the way his cock curved slightly to the right.

Kurt worked his hands up under Blaine’s buttocks and began to massage lightly. He turned his head and placed a kiss on Blaine’s thigh, enjoying the feeling of the muscle tensing beneath his lips. He drug he lips upwards towards the center of Blaine’s body, skipping over his cock and moving down to the other thigh. Blaine wiggled a little, restless at the lack of attention where he wanted it most.

Finally, Kurt gave Blaine what he needed and placed a kiss directly on the head of his erection, letting his lips linger. He proceeded to drop open-mouthed wet kisses down the entire length, stopping when he reached the base and continuing back up the other side. He then returned to the head, which was glistening and pink in the soft light of the living room. Kurt took a deep breath to calm himself once again, then moved forward. He sucked the head in tentatively, not too deep at first, just manipulating the tip with his tongue. He pulled one hand out from under Blaine’s ass to take a hold of his balls, gripping them lightly and squeezing just the tiniest bit. Blaine, who had been relatively quiet until then, groaned and reached out to grab the carpet with both hands.

Kurt took him in a little deeper, his confidence buoyed by how much Blaine was obviously enjoying his efforts. He moved a touch too fast and erratically, not quite able to maintain an even rhythm. He backed off for a second before trying again, this time attempting to keep his enthusiasm under control. He soon forgot to concentrate on the mechanics of what he was doing as his mind latched onto the information coming in through his senses: the weight of Blaine’s cock on his tongue, the texture of the skin as it moved in and out of his mouth, the salty and slightly bitter taste mixed with sweat, the sound of the little gasps and hitches that Blaine was making.

Kurt began to experiment, trying different things to see what Blaine responded to most, reaching out with his senses to help him understand when he had done something Blaine particularly liked. As he licked and stroked and massaged he felt the clenching of Blaine’s ass and the tightening of his balls against his hands, heard the moans and mews that escaped when he did something unexpected.

Kurt pulled off to take a breath, panting a bit as he considered his next move. He licked at the head like a lollipop before nibbling down the side with his lips. When he reached the base he opened his mouth a little wider and sucked one of Blaine’s balls in, tickling it with his tongue. Blaine jerked and grabbed ahold of Kurt’s hair with one hand. Kurt smiled despite his mouthful; Blaine had obviously liked that move (go him!).

The other ball received the same attention, while at the same time Kurt slowly worked Blaine’s cock back and forth with his hand, not gripping too tightly, since they didn’t have any lube with them. Blaine was really making a lot of noise now, gasping and crying out and making little sounds of encouragement that sent a pulse straight to Kurt’s own erection. He felt Blaine let go of his hair and looked up to find him sweating, his hair curling, cheeks pink with effort, as he strained to lift his head up to watch Kurt at work.

Kurt lifted up a finger to pause things and shuffled over to the sofa on his knees to grab a pillow, which he carefully placed under Blaine’s head. He took the opportunity to kiss him gently and Blaine smiled up at him, his eyes dazed. Before Kurt returned to his previous position he grabbed a soft, furry blanket off a chair. He folded it several times and laid it down on the floor, kneeling on it before bending over Blaine, hands gripping his hips. This time he could feel Blaine’s eyes on him as he watched from his new raised vantage point.

He balanced himself on his left elbow as he lifted Blaine’s cock up with one finger, raising it straight up to his mouth. He engulfed the end slowly, letting the heat and moisture from his mouth seep into Blaine’s skin. Now that he was less nervous, he was successful in maintaining a fast, steady tempo. He still wasn’t able to pull Blaine in as deep as he’d like (how awful would it be to break the mood by gagging?), but Blaine wasn’t complaining at all as he quivered beneath his touch and struggled to keep his eyes open.

Ignoring the throbbing of his own hard dick and the ache in his jaw, Kurt worked until he sensed a change in Blaine’s body. His hips were moving in tiny uncontrolled thrusts and a hand had returned to Kurt’s hair, clutching and releasing as tremors racked his body. Wanting to give Blaine what he needed, Kurt redoubled his efforts, sucking harder and working the part of his erection that he couldn’t fit in his mouth with his hand.

“God, Kurt…I’m gonna come,” Blaine choked out as his fingers twitched once again.

This was normally the time when Kurt would pull away and finish off the job with his hand, but he felt the sudden desire to stay with Blaine until the end (and not just because it would make clean-up a lot easier). He wanted to taste all that Blaine had to offer, to feel the moment of completion with Blaine still inside him. He leaned down further and took Blaine in a little bit deeper as he moved his hands down to clasp his balls again.

He felt Blaine shiver beneath his hands as he toppled over the edge. He grew even larger in Kurt’s mouth for a moment and then exploded. Kurt could feel the contractions in his balls as burst after burst of come flooded his mouth. He pulled off and swallowed before pulling the head of Blaine’s cock back in. He massaged it gently with his lips, helping Blaine through the tremors still wracking his body.  Finally, Blaine’s body stilled and his head lolled to the side. Kurt quietly let the slowly softening cock slip from his lips and it sank back against Blaine’s stomach.

Kurt kissed his way back up Blaine’s body and rested his chin on his chest, still unfilled himself, but finding that he didn’t care that much. It had been incredible to see Blaine fall apart under his hands and mouth. It made him feel powerful and desirable. He started a bit when Blaine grasped his head with both hands and pulled him in for a hard kiss before collapsing back on the floor. Kurt rested on top of him, happy to revel in what had just happened.

It took a few moments for Blaine to recover and then Kurt suddenly found himself on his back not knowing exactly how he got there. It must be some type of martial arts move he hadn’t learned yet. He absentmindedly thought about getting Blaine to teach him the move, even though he wasn’t sure it was something Northstar would ever use (at least on camera). Kurt laughed at the thought of including a demonstration of that flip in his audition. Blaine glanced up for a moment at the sound, but didn’t let it distract him from the kisses he was laying on Kurt’s neck.

Kurt could feel warmth radiating from each spot that Blaine touched, the imprint of his mouth burned into this skin. He tipped his head back, making room for Blaine to come up the side near his ear in what was quickly becoming a familiar move. He slid a hand up to caress Blaine’s cheek and hold him closer.

Suddenly Blaine’s weight was gone and Kurt blinked heavily to find him kneeling at his side, making quick work of removing his pants and underwear. Kurt gave him an approving look when he folded the jeans carefully and placed them on the chair. Blaine then pulled Kurt to his feet. He draped the soft blanket over the sofa and moved Kurt backwards until his knees hit the cushion and he sat down. Kurt expected Blaine to follow him down, but instead he walked over to the entryway table, leaving Kurt feeling a little exposed at being left there alone and naked. Blaine returned in seconds with a small paper bag that Kurt had seen earlier. He reached in and pulled out a small bottle of lube. “I stopped at the store earlier,” he said with a mischievous smile as he poured some of the liquid into his palm.

Blaine sat beside him on the couch and used his non-lubed up hand to tug Kurt over so that he was straddling Blaine’s legs. Kurt moved to sit down on his lap, but Blaine urged him to stay up on his knees. He grabbed Kurt’s hips with one hand and reach out with the lubed hand to take a hold of his erection, which had softened slightly, but now came roaring back to full hardness. 

Blaine bent forward and guided Kurt’s cock to his mouth, swallowing him half-way down immediately. He held Kurt’s balls in his hand and squeezed lightly each time he took Kurt in deeper.

To Kurt it seemed like the sound had been removed from the world for a moment before it all came rushing back in, like in an action movie when a nuclear bomb goes off. It was as if his entire being, all his consciousness, had focused in on just those parts of his body that Blaine was touching, as if no other part of him existed.

Kurt could feel the pressure growing faster than he would have like and searched for a way to make the experience last a while longer. He tried to take his mind off of the pleasure that was radiating out to every fiber in his body and instead tried to think clinically about what Blaine was doing. He noted absently that Blaine had a different style from his own, using his hand more than Kurt had, gripping the lower part of his erection tightly, working it in tandem with his mouth so that no part of him went untouched. He used his mouth differently too; he was more languid in his movements and was moving up and down in an even tempo while alternating the depths to which he pulled Kurt in — deep, then shallow, then deep again. Kurt felt Blaine’s tongue run along the edge of the head of his cock and gave a jerk. Blaine groaned and tightened his grip on Kurt’s hip at the movement, driving him forward, deeper into the warm cavern of his mouth.

It seemed for a moment like Blaine’s hands were everywhere, digging into his hips, running up his back, stroking him with just the right amount of pressure. Kurt floated in a haze of pleasure, the sense of being wanted, of being treasured filling every molecule. All too soon he felt the tightening deep in the pit of his stomach, warning him that he wouldn’t last much longer. He gripped Blaine’s shoulders tighter with his hands, digging his fingers into the hard muscles there. “You take my breath away. I knew it would be like this,” he sighed, his eyes unfocused and cheeks flushed. Blaine responded by sucking him in harder and deeper, but not faster. He maintained the same rhythm, edging Kurt closer and closer to the bright light that was hovering just beyond his reach.

He came harder than he could ever remember coming, his cock jerking violently in Blaine’s mouth as his passions overwhelmed him. He could feel Blaine swallowing around him as the convulsions shook his entire body. Blaine brought him down slowly, licking and mouthing at him until his legs gave out beneath him and he sunk backwards, his cock slipping out of Blaine’s mouth. He collapsed, boneless, against Blaine’s chest, resting his head on his shoulder. He felt Blaine smile against his head and watched as he intertwined their fingers together, measuring Kurt’s fingers with his.

They stayed like that for several minutes while their overheated bodies cooled.

Finally, Blaine stirred. “We did it again,” he whispered against Kurt’s hair.

Kurt grinned into Blaine’s shoulder. “Yes, and it was glorious.”

Blaine pulled back a little, dislodging Kurt slightly. “No, I mean we fell into bed again without talking.”

“Okay, let’s talk.” Kurt scooted off of Blaine’s lap and sat on the sofa next to him, flipping the edge of the blanket over both their laps to reduce the possibility for distraction.

“This isn’t just a one time — or two times now, I guess — thing for me and I’m hoping it isn’t for you either.” Blaine toyed with the hem of the blanket, worrying the fabric back-and-forth between his fingers.

Kurt shook his head firmly and grabbed Blaine’s hand. “No! No, for me neither. I want…I want so much. I want us to be together, not just to fool the press, but for real. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met and I’m so sorry that I made you doubt me, doubt us.”

“We should do this right,” Blaine smiled earnestly as he squeezed Kurt’s hand. “I think we skipped several steps somewhere along the way, so…Kurt Hummel, would you please go out on a date with me?”

“Well, kind sir, I’d like that very much.” Kurt leaned forward, hoping that Blaine would meet him in the middle for a kiss.

When their lips met, Kurt threw his arms around Blaine’s shoulders and laughed into his mouth, happier than he’d felt in ages. He ignored the small voice that told him that they should talk more, that the injuries and insecurities uncovered that afternoon weren’t so easily dismissed. It was too soon to mention the depths of his feelings, his hopes for the future. There would be time for all of that later.


	15. Chapter 15

_Is Kurt Hummel about to put a ring on it? Sources tell us that Hummel is head-over-heels for his new boyfriend and is ready to pop the question, less than two months after they first went public with their relationship. Kurt has reportedly been scouting out fabulous locations for the ceremony and honeymoon and has had private design sessions with Harry Winston, jeweler to the stars, to design their custom engagement rings. If a Hummel/Anderson wedding is in the cards, you can bet that it will be the most sought after invitation in Hollywood, as it is destined to be the most fabulous party this town has seen in quite a while. — HollywoodTattler, December 2nd, 2018_

=^..^=

The touching was the hardest thing for Kurt to get used to. Not the sexual stuff, though that was definitely new too (at least at the frequency he was now experiencing), but the hundreds of casual daily touches. The hand resting on his waist as he made dinner, the light neck rub when he winced after bending over scripts for too long, and the hands always touching his.

Only a week into their new relationship and Kurt could already tell that Blaine had a thing for hands.

Actually, the more he thought about it, it wasn’t just touching itself that threw him, it was the idea that there was someone who wanted to touch him, someone who felt the need to constantly reaffirm their connection to him through physical contact. And most wondrous of all, that that someone was Blaine.

Being with each other 24/7 was definitely not something most newly minted boyfriends had to deal with, so they agreed to give each other space and do what they could to keep their business and personal relationships separate. They decided to keep their separate bedrooms, since they wouldn’t be living together if they were just dating normally and agreed that they would talk about each event they were going to appear at ahead of time to determine if Blaine was attending as Kurt’s boyfriend or his bodyguard, which would determine not only his own actions, but Kurt’s as well.

The week had been a very busy one for him, so they hadn’t had much time alone and definitely hadn’t had time for their date. He didn’t really have any experience with romantic relationships, though, so he was grateful that he was able to spend at least part of the time falling back on their work relationship to help him feel more comfortable. He and Blaine were slowly finding their footing, negotiating the strange situation they now found themselves in. Kurt had called his dad and Rachel to discuss the recent events and had emailed with Mercedes, all of which had helped, but he was still feeling his way.

It took a week, but Kurt finally had a free day in his schedule. He was trying to figure out what he and Blaine could do with 24 whole, glorious hours without a meeting, audition, or scenes to film, when Blaine beat him to the punch.

“How would you feel about spending tomorrow with me?” Blaine asked as he helped Kurt fold a batch of laundry fresh out of the dryer.

Kurt smirked as he matched up a pair of socks. “Umm, Blaine? I spend every day with you.”

“Ah, but this day will be different. It will be our first official date.” Blaine dropped the pile of t-shirts he had been folding into the basket at his feet and scooped all of the paired up socks in on top.

Kurt’s grin was so large that almost all of his teeth showed. “Really? Where?”

They walked down the hallway to Kurt’s bedroom, where Blaine took a seat on the bed as Kurt bustled around, putting the laundry away. “I remember you saying that it’s been awhile since you’ve been to an amusement park, so I thought maybe Disneyland?”

“I’m not sure if having a Disney escort follow us around all day is the romantic date I was hoping for,” he observed drily.

“We won’t have an escort, exactly.” Blaine’s evasive tone had Kurt looking up from the drawer where he was organizing his socks by color.

“But what about being recognized? Aren’t you worried about —“

“I have a plan,” Blaine interrupted, coming to stand behind Kurt and wrapping his arms around his waist. “We won’t be in one place all night like we were on Halloween, so I think we can make this work. It’ll be chilly tomorrow, so we can both wear coats or sweatshirts with hoods. You’ll dress as casually as you possibly can and still feel like your fabulous self and I’ll do the same. I’m going to let my curly hair freak flag fly, so maybe you can style your hair differently too? Then when we get there we’ll buy crazy Disney hats and try to blend in as much as we can. I have something else up my sleeve too.” Kurt looked a little unsure, so Blaine rushed to reassure him. “It’s only about a week before nominations start to role in, so this might be your last chance for any kind of anonymity. If you’re nominated then your face will be everywhere. Plus, you need to have some fun or you’re going to drive yourself crazy waiting for the announcements.”

“Why Blaine, this seems very un-bodyguard-like of you.”

“Trust me. I’ve been planning this all week. I okayed the trip with Bev and I’ve spoken with some other bodyguards about their experiences with celebrities at Disneyland and they’ve all been really positive. No one knows we’re going, so we don’t have to worry about people waiting for us and we’ll keep an eye on social media to see if anyone is reporting our location.” Blaine faltered and pulled back a bit. “But you’re right, I can’t say that this is something I’d sanction if you were just a regular client. I think I’ve lost my ability to think professionally around you. Maybe we shouldn’t go —“

Kurt silenced him by leaping in with a quick kiss. “Shut up. I do trust you. I know you wouldn’t put me in danger.” He leaned forward for another kiss, singing “M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U…” He didn’t get any further before Blaine dipped him low to the ground and his song dissolved into giggling.

=^..^=

Their trip to the Mouse House (the decided upon code word for their destination) the next day started so early that it was still dark outside.

Kurt emerged from his walk-in closet and stood, hands on hips, in front of Blaine. “It’s a testament to how much this date means to me that I’m willing to go out in public looking like this.”

Blaine eyed Kurt’s designer jeans (admittedly a much looser style than he normally wore) and fitted t-shirt (was that a rock band logo? Where in the world had he even gotten that?) and bit back a smile. “I appreciate your sacrifice.” Kurt’s hair lay flat against his head, the first time Blaine had seen it without product since they had met, and it made him look several years younger. All-in-all he was as unrecognizable as he could be without resorting to some disguise that would probably backfire and garner unwanted attention.

Blaine was dressed similarly, though he was wearing a shirt touting a local sports team that garnered him a withering look from Kurt. His hair poofed out gently around his head like a little curly, black cloud and Kurt giggled as he patted it with his hand. “It’s so fluffy!”

Blaine smoothed his hair self-consciously as they grabbed their less-than-fashionable coats that were normally reserved for yard work and headed out to the garage. Within minutes they were on their way, though the trip took a little longer than usual due to the detours Blaine took to make sure that no one was following them.

They arrived at the Disneyland parking garage a few minutes before the park was due to open and took the escalator down to the tram waiting area. Once on the ground level, Blaine led Kurt over to two people who were standing opposite the crowds waiting for the next tram to arrive. “Kurt, you remember my friend Raul and his wife Juanita from the Halloween party, right?” Blaine asked anxiously, afraid that Kurt wouldn’t like his solution to the security concerns.

“Of course.”  Kurt shook hands with Raul and Juanita, an open, if questioning, smile on his face. “I don’t think I would have recognized you without the introduction, though. Everyone looks different when seen through Gumby eye holes.”

Blaine explained to Kurt how Raul and Juanita, who was in the personal protection business like her husband, were going to accompany them in the park, not as bodyguards, per se, but just as extra pairs of eyes in case they were needed. They would just hang back and enjoy their own day of fun unless Blaine requested otherwise and would check the social media sites from time-to-time to make sure that there was no chatter about Kurt’s whereabouts.

Kurt listened to the plan and agreed much more quickly than Blaine had expected. The tram arrived and they all jumped on, though Blaine noticed Kurt turning his face away from the strangers who were seated in their row.  They were dropped off at the end of Downtown Disney and walked down the pathway towards the park entrance.  The crowd was heavy since the park was just opening, but it was low season, so overall the number of people would be small, at least in Disney terms.

After passing through security and buying their tickets they decided to head to Disneyland first and save California Adventure for later. As they entered and passed the giant Mickey Mouse head made entirely of flowers, Kurt reached down and grabbed Blaine’s hand tightly.

Unlike Kurt, Blaine had been to Disneyland before, so he had a few things already planned out for them to do. They walked down Main Street U.S.A., which was already decorated for Christmas, and stopped to have their photo taken in front of the castle and the giant Christmas tree by one of the Disney photographers. Blaine picked up their photo pass card so that they could claim the photo later and led Kurt underneath the castle into Fantasyland, where they headed directly for The Mad Hatter shop. The plan was to buy hats for each other to wear, so they browsed for a while to make sure they had seen all the options. For Kurt, Blaine picked out a small velvet Mad Hatter’s top hat with feathers and a little price tag that perched on the top of Kurt’s head attached by a thin elastic band. For Blaine, Kurt selected Minnie Mouse ears on a headband, complete with a red and white polka dotted bow.

“It was as close as I could come to a bow tie,” he explained at Blaine’s questioning look.

Blaine placed the headband on his head with a big grin and tucked Kurt’s arm into his before leading him towards Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Raul and Juanita followed at a discreet distance, enjoying their own day at the park.

Blaine was still whistling the _Hi Ho_ song from the Show White ride when they passed It’s a Small World and he turned to Kurt with an expectant grin. Before he could even say anything Kurt stopped him cold. “No way. Not going to happen. That song is an ear worm of epic proportions. If we go on that ride I’m afraid it’ll end up being our song and I refuse to dance to that at my wedding.” As soon as the words left his mouth he turned beet red and clamped a hand over his mouth. “I can’t believe I just said that. I-I didn’t mean….I don’t think that we…”

Blaine took pity on him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to bring him in closer. “They’re about to perform _Beauty and the Beast_. Let’s get a good seat.” Kurt nodded, relieved at the change in subject and they turned in the direction of the outdoor theater.

The performance was short, boiling the movie down into a 20 minute live show, but it was energetic and fun and the perfect way to rest their feet in preparation of hours of walking. Kurt declared the show a winner and vowed not to be too critical of the acting (which was good, but _theme park_ good) and pre-recorded music. As they exited the theater hand in hand Blaine was feeling a little wistful and knew it showed on his face then Kurt commented.

“Is something wrong?” Kurt asked, worry furrowing his brow.

“No, nothing to worry about,” Blaine reassured him as they walked towards the Matterhorn. “Did I ever tell you I used to perform in theme park shows? Middle school through freshman year at King’s Island. I wanted to keep going, maybe make a career out of it, but I stayed in Pennsylvania year round after I transferred.”

“Why didn’t you pursue it in Pennsylvania?” Kurt asked as he sidestepped a man pushing a baby stroller containing three identical looking infants.

“There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for that kind of singing at military school. I was in the choral group there, but it was really traditional and not exactly the place to try and improve performance skills. And by the time I got to college I was just thinking about other things, I guess. Not a big deal. I mean probably half the kids in the world dream about performing at some time or another, right?”

Kurt grabbed his elbow and pulled him in closer. “It’s never too late though. There’s community theater and —“

“I think one star in this couple is enough,” Blaine interjected. His use of the word ‘couple’ caused Kurt to stop dead in his tracks, which didn’t endear them to the crowds trying to walk near them. Blaine pulled Kurt over to the side of the path next to a little cart selling churros and hot chocolate and leaned in to place a light kiss on his nose. “Yes, I said couple. It’s accurate…right?”

“Yes! Yes, of course, I’ve just…never been a part of a couple before.” Kurt’s voice was higher and more breathy than usual. “It might take some getting used to.”

“I happen to know that one of the most famous long-standing couples in Hollywood is here today. We should track them down and get some advice.”

“Couple? What couple?”

“This way, my good sir.” Blaine crooked his arm and offered it to Kurt, who wrapped his arm around it tightly and they were off.

=^..^=

“Mickey and Minnie Mouse? That’s your big, long-lasting couple?” Kurt asked, looking up at the entrance to Mickey’s house.

“Hey,” Blaine protested, “I know they’ve been together for 90 years and Mickey still hasn’t put a ring on it, but those kids have made it through the Great Depression, a World War, and Mickey’s really unfortunate clothing choices in the ‘80s. I think they’re the real deal.”

Kurt put a hand on his outthrusted hip and shook his head. “You just like him because he wears a bow tie and red pants, and has a perpetual grin… Wait a second. Has anyone ever seen you in the same room as Mickey Mouse? ‘Cause I’m starting to think you might be the same person. Like Batman and Bruce Wayne.”

“I choose to be flattered by the comparison.”

“Come on Mickey, give me the grand tour of your humble abode.”

They wandered through Mickey’s house, laughing at all of the little touches that the Imagineers had added for the guest’s amusement. Blaine mugged for the camera while sitting in Mickey’s oversized cartoon-style chair and Kurt wiped imaginary sweat from his brow as Blaine snapped him pretending to pull giant carrots from the garden. They wound their way through until finally they reached the room where Mickey was holding court. As they waited their turn for a photo, Kurt turned to Blaine in mock disbelief. “You’re both here! Twins? Identical cousins?” he mouthed silently. Blaine worked hard to swallow his chuckle, not wanting to disturb the others who were meeting Mickey. Finally, it was their turn for photos and Blaine handed over the photo pass, so that the new photo could be linked to the same account as their castle picture. Blaine had a feeling that the photo, with both of them grinning like mad-men with the iconic symbol of eternal childhood was destined to become one of his favorites.

Leaving Toontown behind they decided to hop over to the California Adventure park for a while. On the way back down Main Street Kurt yanked him to a stop in front of a shop filled with higher-end Disney art. While Kurt prowled the shop for a piece of art for his bedroom, Blaine stood towards one side and did a quick Twitter search to see if anyone had reported seeing them at the park. He hadn’t noticed any strange behavior from the other guests and was relieved to see that all was quiet on the Twitter front. He knew Raul, who was standing outside of the shop with Juanita, had already checked, but he felt better confirming it on his own. Kurt finished up his purchase of a black and white painting of Mickey done by a well-known artist and they were back on their way.

Thinking it best to go on any potentially stomach-turning rides before lunch, Kurt convinced Blaine to go on the California Screamin’ roller coaster and Blaine squeezed his hand so tightly during the ride that Kurt claimed to have lost all feeling in it for several minutes. Despite Blaine’s best efforts, he failed to get Kurt to go on the Tower of Terror (“It has ‘Terror’ in the name, Blaine. Not for all the Versace in Milan.”), but he did get him on Ariel’s Undersea Adventure where he snuck a kiss as they rode in their clamshell.

They had lunch at Pacific Wharf and fed each other bites of fresh, warm sourdough bread while watching the people stream by. “I think people watching is one of my favorite things to do at Disneyland,” Blaine mused as a family passed by wheeling two giant strollers while trying to control five young children and five giant balloons. “All of these people from different places sharing the same experience. The little girls dressed as princesses, the older kids getting their first taste of freedom from their parents within the safety of the park, the people on dates,” he made over-dramatic heart eyes at Kurt, “the —”

“The crying kids, the cranky parents, the moms who never seem to get to go on a ride because they’re always staying behind with a baby…”

“Cynic.”

“Idealist.”

They grinned at each other, lost in the moment until the sound of a child screaming that he wanted an ice cream cone broke the spell.

Kurt dipped his fork back into the salad nestled inside his bread bowl and tore off a piece of the crusty bread with his other hand. “I was surprised to hear that you love music so much. I haven’t really heard you listen to it much the whole time I’ve known you.”

Blaine reached forward and brushed a bread crumb off of Kurt’s chin. “I don’t tend to listen to a lot of it when I’m on a job like this. I need to keep my concentration on other things.”

“Well, I hereby demand that you send me your favorite playlists so that we can load them onto my iPod and into the car,” Kurt said, his expression telling Blaine that there was no room for argument.

“Your wish is my command. I mostly listen to Top 40, but I have some favorites I can send you. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to music just for pleasure. Lately I’ve been using it as a way to connect to the kids I’m protecting. It’s amazing how much faster the older ones warm up to you when you can speak their language musically.” Blaine looked down into the water surrounding the wharf, watching the ducks swim below them.

“That was definitely me as a kid.” Kurt set his fork down on the tray and leaned forward, his arms resting on the table. “I was pretty insufferable most of the time and walked around like I thought I was so much better than everyone else. It was purely self-defense, of course, but it didn’t exactly endear me to people. It wasn’t until glee club in high school that things got better. Suddenly there were other people who lived for music just as much as I did, who felt the need to perform, to be seen, as much as I did. It was amazing to feel like I wasn’t totally alone, that there were people that understood me, at least on that level. Mr. Schuester, the club advisor, wasn’t perfect by any means and God knows I had my problems with some of his methods, but I owe him a big debt for introducing me to that. I don’t know where I would be otherwise.”

“I think high school was the biggest time for me musically as well.  I used to have a playlist of songs that I’d listen to in order to psyche myself up or to help me with whatever problems I was facing at the moment.” Blaine smiled at the memory, wondering if he still had those playlists somewhere.

“Me too!” Kurt sat up straight and pushed his tray off to the side. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Here, I’ll start. My ‘I’ll never let them get me down’ song was _Defying Gravity_. It’s a cliché, I know, but it worked.”

“Hmm… mine was _Invincible_ by Pat Benatar.”

“Oh, an oldie, but a goodie. I approve.” Kurt patted his hand only semi-condescendingly. “Okay, let’s see…my go to song to get energized and excited was _Just Dance_ by Lady Gaga.”

“ _Strut_ by Adam Lambert.”

Kurt looked down at the table and traced a scratch with his thumbnail, his expression somber. “When I was feeling discouraged about love, which was pretty often, I always played _The Rose_ by Bette Midler.

Blaine absorbed this, amazed at how perfectly that song fit what he knew of Kurt. He hesitated, unsure if he was willing to reveal as much as Kurt had just done, but Kurt was looking up at him expectantly and he didn’t want to disappoint him. “Umm…I guess _I Can’t Make You Love Me_. The George Michael cover version.” He looked down again at the ducks, trying to push thoughts of his parents and their abandonment from his mind. He felt a hand on his and turned to find Kurt looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quiet identify in his eyes.

“You know, when I first moved to New York I was terrified. No school, no job, just ambition and a certainty about where I needed to be. Every day I played the song _Piece of Sky_ from the movie _Yentl_. Do you know it?” Blaine nodded. “My friend Rachel is the biggest Barbra Streisand fan and introduced me to it. I remember listening to that song and thinking that it summed up my entire life. How was it that others thought they could tell me what I could do with my life? Tell me who I was supposed to be? I realized it was up to me,” he gripped Blaine’s hand tighter, “to us. We decide what to make of our lives. And if other people don’t support that or can’t figure out a way to love us? Forget them. They can’t touch us. We’ll find our own piece of sky.”

Blaine blinked tears out of his eyes and lifted Kurt’s hand to his mouth for a quick kiss. “You are the most magnificent man I’ve ever met, do you know that?” He wanted to say more, but he looked around and realized that people were wandering close to their table, looking for empty seats in the dining area. He stood up and grabbed his tray. “I think we’ve gotten a little heavy for a first date, don’t you?  Come on, there’s more park to see.” Kurt looked as if he might disagree, but followed Blaine’s lead. They emptied their trays and held hands as they headed off for more adventure.

Blaine’s favorite part of California Adventure was Buena Vista Street (“Of course it is, Blaine. It’s short, neat, and old-fashioned just like you.”), while Kurt loved _Cars Land_ (“It kind of makes me nostalgic for home, though dad’s garage was never that clean.”) and got his picture taken with Lightning McQueen outside of the Cozy Cone Motel, which he immediately texted to his dad. As they finished up with the park Blaine bought Kurt an ice cream bar in the shape of Mickey’s head, which he presented with a flourish worthy of a bouquet of long stemmed roses. Kurt voiced his moral concerns about eating the dessert (“It feels wrong. We just met him.”), but didn’t let that stop him from biting off Mickey’s ear.

Blaine watched Kurt eat — his small teeth biting delicately into the treat, his tongue darting out to lick off a drip of melting ice cream — and felt the temperature rise a bit. He snuck a bite himself in an attempt to cool down, but was unable to look away from Kurt. He was amazed that no one else was looking at him. Not because they recognized him as someone famous, but because he was luminescent and spellbinding. He was torn between wanting to keep all of that beauty to himself and screaming out to everyone around to point out what they were missing.

Kurt glanced up and found Blaine staring at him. “Do I have something on my face?”

“Mmmm…” Blaine leaned forward and touched their lips together lightly before licking away a small bit of chocolate from the corner of Kurt’s mouth. “Not anymore.”

“Merci, kind sir.”

=^..^=

They walked across the expansive entrance plaza back to Disneyland as they conferred with Raul and Juanita to see if there was anything in particular that the other couple wanted to do. As they came through the entranceway onto the end of Main Street, they saw lines of people gathered to get their photos taken with Pluto, who was wearing a pair of reindeer antlers, and Goofy, who was wearing a Santa hat. Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hand and pulled him immediately into the closest line. They got a photo of themselves both kissing Pluto on the cheek and posed with Raul and Juanita for a picture with Goofy before continuing to walk down the street.

As they passed the Emporium store Kurt looked wistfully at a display of hats and scarves. “I wish it was colder. It doesn’t really feel like it’s almost Christmas when it’s not freezing out.”

“I love the weather here,” Blaine disagreed. “You don’t know what true hardship is until you live in a high humidity area with hair like this.”

“Oh, my poor baby.” Kurt knew how sensitive Blaine was about his hair and wished that there was something he could say to reassure him. He kind of liked the soft, puffy style that had emerged the few times that Blaine had neglected to pile gel on top of it. Even if the rest of the Disney trip had been a bust (which it hadn’t, of course) it would have been worth it just to spend the day with Blaine and his au natural hair.

They stopped in the window of the candy shop and watched the candy makers dip caramel apples into chocolate and apply decorations to turn them into Donald, Mickey, Minnie and other characters. Kurt bought a Donald apple and had the server cut it up into pieces, unwilling to deal with the mess of eating it off of the stick. He and Blaine shared the treat as they walked towards the _Adventureland_ gate.

The rode the rides and browsed the stores. They kissed while riding The Pirates of the Caribbean (and Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain and in the back corner of The Enchanted Tiki Room) and held hands as they navigated the Tarzan tree house. Kurt was baffled when Blaine felt the need to buy a toy sword at the pirate themed store and nearly strained his eyes rolling them when he engaged in a mock sword battle with Captain Hook.  Kurt took photos the whole time, partly embarrassed and partly captivated by Blaine’s childlike behavior.

After riding the _Nightmare Before Christmas_ themed Haunted Mansion for the third time in a row they retired to the Blue Bayou restaurant for dinner, sitting “outside” overlooking the boats setting off on the Pirates ride. Fake fireflies danced overhead as Kurt ordered the jambalaya, excited to try Cajun/Creole food for the first time and Blaine selected a Monte Cristo sandwich.

They talked softly over their food on subjects that had seemed too personal in the days before their relationship changed and discussed their biggest regrets and best memories. They shared a crème brûlée for dessert as they moved on to more lighthearted subjects. They talked about where they most wanted to travel (they both agreed that Paris was number one on their lists) and things they wanted to experience. When Kurt mentioned that one day he wanted to stay at the legendary Mii Amo spa in Sedona, Blaine admitted that he had never had a massage.  Once he got over his shock and horror, Kurt vowed to include Blaine in his next spa appointment, declaring no one should live 25 years without experiencing a deep tissue massage, especially not someone with such a physical career.

They finished dinner just as the first performance of _Fantasmic_ was starting and Blaine told Kurt he had a plan to get the best seats for the second showing. They went into a store in Adventureland and browsed a while to pass the time. As the sounds of the show got louder and more dramatic, Blaine bought a blanket decorated with zebra patterned Mickey heads and grabbed Kurt’s hand to guide him through the thick crowd. They stood at the back of the gathered masses as the last notes of the show faded away and immediately pushed their way forward through the departing guests until they were standing at the edge of the Rivers of America.

Blaine spread the blanket down right near the railing, his chest puffed up a little at his victory and a smug smile on his face. Kurt thought he had never seen him look more proud. They lowered themselves down onto the blanket and Kurt sat between Blaine’s legs, leaning back against his chest as they looked out over the water. They sat quietly for about half an hour, Kurt weaving an intricate life story about the duck who was leisurely swimming in the water in front of them. Just as he was winding down the epic tale of “Quacky the Disney Duck”, the fireworks show over the castle started. They couldn’t see the castle from their vantage point, but could see the fireworks bursting high overhead. Kurt tilted his head back on Blaine’s shoulder, thinking that he would be content to stay there forever, wrapped tightly in Blaine’s arm, colors exploding overhead. He hadn’t had many truly content moments in his life;  there was always something else intruding — worry about the future, fear of not meeting expectations, anger at people’s prejudices and misconceptions — but not this time. This time everything was perfect and there were no cloudy thoughts on his horizon.

The fireworks ended and within minutes _Fantasmic_ began. The music started and chills ran down Kurt’s spine. He watched, entranced, as Mickey appeared and the film clips played on the fans of water spraying out of the river.  When the boats carrying the princes and princess floated by, Blaine tightened his arms and Kurt felt a kiss on the side of his head. He twisted to the side until his lips were next to Blaine’s ear. “You know, if you ever wanted to give up being a bodyguard you’re a shoe-in for getting a job here as Prince Eric or Aladdin. You can use me as a reference.” He felt the rubble of Blaine’s laugh against his back and grinned.

Kurt gasped in alarm when the dragon appeared and began to set the river on fire. His little duck friend was still swimming in front of them and seemed to be just inches away from getting toasted by the flames. He sighed in relief as it escaped in the nick of time and he settled back against Blaine to watch Mickey save the day.

When the show was over, Kurt felt exhilarated and a little choked up and was happy to see that Blaine seemed similarly affected. They were saps, the both of them. He stood up and clapped. “Again! Again!”

They were soon swept up with the masses heading towards the exit, but were able to swim free to stop at the Emporium for a last bit of shopping. They went to the stuffed animal section and each picked a toy to buy. Kurt selected a small stuffed Eeyore and Blaine came up behind him, holding the matching Tigger.

“Awe,” Kurt cooed as they held the toys together, “they go together.”

“Then we chose wisely, because so do we,” Blaine smiled.

As they left the store Kurt pulled Blaine into the little park at the end of Main Street and they looked back at the illuminated castle. “It was the perfect day,” Kurt whispered as he wrapped his arms around Blaine’s shoulders and hugged him close. “Best first date ever. Thank you.”

They said goodbye to Raul and Juanita and made their way back to the car. The drive home was mostly silent. Kurt sat with his head resting on the back of the seat, turned so that he could watch Blaine. It was a face he had seen every day for months, but the shifting light from the passing headlights and street lights was bringing out angles and plains in his face that Kurt had never seen before.

He couldn’t believe how wonderful the day had been. It shouldn’t have been that special, after all they had spent nearly 24 hours a day with each other since the day they had met, but this had been different. It hadn’t been Kurt, the actor, and Blaine, the bodyguard. It had been Kurt and Blaine, just another couple caught up in the magic of the happiest place on earth.

He was just about to doze off when he realized that no one had recognized them the whole day. There had been no whispering as he passed by, no requests for pictures. It really _had_ been the perfect day.


	16. Chapter 16

_The Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations are announced next week and odds-makers put Kurt Hummel solidly in the lead for one of the Best Supporting Actor nods. While Kurt has been perhaps better known for his dating life in recent months, the spotlight is about to shift back to his considerable acting talents, where it belongs. If he does receive the expected nominations, he will be the youngest openly gay actor to do so. While he doesn’t yet have the number of roles under his belt necessary to truly showcase his versatility, he is two-for-two when it comes to box office success, and nominations for the major industry awards may be all that is needed to open the flood gates and send offers his way for the types of prestige roles that his talent seems to warrant. — TheHollywoodInsideDish, December 12th, 2018._

=^..^=

The day after their Disneyland adventure Blaine declared his intention of telling Bev that the boyfriend act had become reality. While Kurt didn’t necessarily share the need for such honesty, he understood where Blaine was coming from and agreed. They invited Bev out for lunch to a small restaurant known for its discretion and privacy and waited nervously for her to appear.

After the flurry of cheek kisses that followed her arrival, Bev settled into her chair and watched with a vague expression of amusement as Kurt and Blaine stumbled over ordering with the waiter. Once they were alone again she turned to them and demanded that they spit out whatever it was that was on their minds.

Kurt swallowed audibly and gripped Blaine’s hand under the table. “Bev, we…I mean Blaine and I…we have something we want to tell you. We’re…umm…we’re dating now. For real. The two of us.”

Bev stilled in her seat, her eyes, which bounced back and forth between Blaine and Kurt, the only part of her that was moving. “Blaine, could I speak to Kurt alone for a second?”

Blaine rose from his chair reluctantly.  “I’ll just go to the…the…I’ll just go.” He sent a sympathetic look Kurt’s way before kissing his hand and making a quick getaway.

Kurt watched him go helplessly before turning back to face an unhappy Bev.

“Do you want to tell me how this happened?” she asked, crossing her arms in front of her sternly.

Kurt suddenly felt like a five year-old child being chastised by a parent. “No, not particularly. It just…did.”

Bev took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Kurt, I just don’t even know where to start. I didn’t get you a bodyguard in order to act as your dating service and I certainly wouldn’t have hired Blaine if I had known he would do this.”

“What? Make me happy? Because he does.” Make that a _sullen_ five year-old child.

“He was hired to do a job and he can’t do it if he’s too busy staring goofily into your eyes,” Bev spat across the table.

“We aren’t that bad.”

“Please. I’ve already seen it. I think we need to replace him.”

“No! Absolutely not!” Kurt realized he had raised his voice when a waiter across the room glanced his way, so he hunched forward, speaking lower and grabbing Bev’s hands in his. “This will work. Trust us. It’s not like we’re in a war zone with constant danger or anything. We’ll make this work.” Bev still looked unconvinced, so he tried again. “Please. This job is what’s keeping him in L.A. If he has to find another one who knows where he might end up? Please? For me?”

Bev tried to keep her glare in place, but was powerless against his pout. “If I agree to this then Steve is going to be accompanying you to more events and I’d better not hear any complaining.”

“Agreed.” Kurt’s smile stretched so wide his teeth showed and he clasped his hands together in joy.

Blaine poked his head back into the room and Kurt beckoned him back, pulling him into his seat and joining their hands together.

“Bev,” Blaine said seriously, looking her straight in the eye, “I promise this won’t affect how I do my job and —“

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she interrupted. “This whole situation makes me question your professionalism and I expect that I’ll be having a discussion with your company about this soon. I’m allowing you to stay for Kurt’s sake, but you’d better watch your step.”

It was clear from his stricken expression that Blaine didn’t like hearing that from Bev, recognizing the truth of her words. He was mostly silent for the rest of the meal, though Kurt was bubbly and brimming with excitement over the turn of events.

As they were leaving the restaurant, Bev pulled Kurt aside, just out of Blaine’s earshot. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so happy.”

“That’s because I never have been.”

=^..^=

It was a week until the nominations and Kurt could feel the pressure getting to him. He told himself over and over that nominations and awards didn’t matter, that finding meaningful roles that touched people and fulfilled him as an artist was really what it was all about, but screw that, he wanted those nominations. He tried to hide his anxiety, but Blaine, now more in-tune with Kurt’s emotions than ever before, saw through his act and set about distracting him whenever he could. His methods of distraction were highly approved of by Kurt, but it wasn’t possible to spend all of their time in bed (no matter how hard they tried), so Kurt was thankful to have a few other things to occupy him.

When Kurt had first moved into the new house, he had asked to get permission to paint the living room and finally the go-ahead had been given. He enlisted Blaine as his home decorating assistant and pulled out his décor scrapbook to scour for ideas. They bickered playfully over color selection (Blaine seemed pathologically unable to recognize the beauty and simplicity of Dior gray, which caused Kurt to momentarily re-evaluate their relationship) and which supplies to use, but finally came to an agreement. Kurt ordered the supplies online in a rush order and they were delivered later the same afternoon.

Kurt woke Blaine bright and early the next morning, delighting in the languorous stretching and sleep-fogged confusion that was part of his waking routine. Before he could get sidetracked from the job at hand, he dumped a neat stack of painting clothes he had raided from his own wardrobe on Blaine’s head and slapped his butt before singing out that work would commence in half an hour. He only made it a step away before strong arms encircled his waist and he was pulled back onto the bed. Okay, make that an hour.

Two hours later, Kurt stood in the living room ready to begin. The first order of the day was to disconnect all of the electronics and move the furniture into the center of the room. They would then cover everything with plastic and tape off the windows and doors before starting the actual painting. Most of the furniture was no problem and soon all they had left was the large and rather solid bookcase that took up most of one wall. They carefully tipped it to put sliding pads under the corners, then worked together to inch it into the dining room, where it would be out of the way. Kurt’s job was to pull and steer from one end while Blaine pushed from the other, but his attention kept being diverted by the play of muscles under Blaine’s skin and the slow drip of sweat down his neck and across his chest.

“Kurt, I’m happy that you find me so irresistible, but unless you want to visit me in the hospital after my hernia operation I really need you to do your part here.”

A wild blush broke out on Kurt’s face. “Sorry.”

“Or,” Blaine’s voice dropped low and seductive, “we could forget the painting and return to more…adventurous pursuits.”

“You’re just bitter that I didn’t pick the paint colors you wanted. Painting first, then sex.”

The rest of the preparation went smoothly and they broke for a quick lunch before starting the painting. Blaine cracked open the cans of primer and gave them a quick stir, while Kurt plugged his iPod into the docking station and selected his playlist of current favorites. After several minutes, Kurt began to softly sing along with the music. The delighted smile Blaine sent his way egged him on and he began to sing at the top of his lungs to the next song.

He was so caught up in his performance that he nearly dropped his brush when he heard another voice chime in. He spun around in surprise to find Blaine belting out the lyrics from his position on a ladder in the corner of the room. It was the first time he’d heard Blaine sing. It was a shame that his school hadn’t had a more pop based singing group like glee club, because Blaine’s voice was perfect and it was a shame that he had been limited to stuffy old-school choral songs.

Blaine finally noticed that he was the only one still singing and he shrugged self-consciously when he saw Kurt watching him. Kurt waved his hand to indicate that he should continue and was pleased when Blaine did so. They sang together on several songs before Blaine jumped off the ladder to refill his paint container. Once on the ground he began to dance around to the music, using every cheesy boy band dance move Kurt could think of. When he finished up the song by jumping up on to the plastic covered end table and singing into his paint brush with great depth of feeling, Kurt had seen enough. He turned calmly around to put the lids back on the cans of paint and placed his brush and the roller in a waiting pail of water. He purposefully walked over to a puzzled Blaine and held up one hand to help him off of the table. The second Blaine’s feet hit the floor, Kurt tackled him to the ground, silencing his squeak of surprise with his mouth.

They decided to finish the painting another day and once again tried to push the limits on how much time could be spent in bed.

=^..^=

It wasn’t all fun and games, though. After months of haranguing by Lynn, Kurt had finally decided on a cause to put his support behind and he spent the Monday before the SAG nominations filming an anti-texting and driving PSA at a local school. It wasn’t the most glamorous of causes, but it was one that Kurt had a personal history with, so he was fully behind it.

He rose early Monday morning and carefully selected an outfit that was simple and low-key (well, low-key for him), since he would be wearing his own clothes for the shoot. At the last minute he reached into the back of his jewelry box and selected a hippo head brooch that he hadn’t worn since high school. He looked at it with indecision for a few seconds before pinning it to his jacket lapel. Blaine quirked an eyebrow when he saw the brooch and just nodded his head in appreciation (Kurt knew Blaine didn’t always get his sense of fashion, but he never, ever criticized it or made Kurt feel self-conscious, which he greatly appreciated).

The car arrived and they hopped in, saying “hi” to Bill and to Steve, who was accompanying them per Bev’s instructions. It took them about 30 minutes to reach the school, during which Kurt filled Blaine in on his old friend Quinn and the major accident she’d had due to texting and driving. She’d been paralyzed for several months and had continued to have some health problems due to the accident. She had given him permission to tell her story in the PSA, saying that if it helped prevent even one kid from being injured or killed for such a stupid reason, then it would all be worth it.

The PSA was being filmed at a grade school, since it was at that age that texting habits started. Students from a local high school, who had created a short film about the dangers of texting and driving in their film class (wow, only in Hollywood), had won the right to be in the PSA along with some citizenship award winners from the grade school.

When the car pulled up in front of the school, Kurt could see the kids milling around the set excitedly, asking questions of the crew as they set up and (of course) texting to their friends. Seeing the kids of their phones reminded Kurt that he hadn’t Tweeted in a while, so he pulled out his phone and sent off a quick message.

_About to film something near and dear to my heart. Quinn, this one’s for you. #GladYouAreStillHere_

The shoot proved more difficult than he had anticipated. The actual filming went fine; it was when the cameras were off that turned out to be the problem. Some kids who weren’t part of the filming had come out to watch and it seemed that a few of them weren’t happy that they hadn’t been selected to participate. They hurled abuse at several of the kids on set, but directed most of their jabs to one kid in particular, who was dressed a little shabbier than the others, though Kurt could see that his worn clothes had been carefully pressed and his scuffed shoes shined. He glared at the bullies and asked a PA if anything could be done to remove them from the area. Unfortunately, since they were on school grounds there wasn’t much that could be done without a school representative, so an assistant was sent off to find one.

In the meantime, Kurt read his lines, acted his part, and tried to make the bullies’ heads explode with his mind a la _Scanners_ (he had Finn to thank for those images being indelibly seared into his memory), but to no effect. The director called lunch and Blaine came loping up to give Kurt a big hug. They grabbed boxed lunches from the catering table and went off to find a tree to eat under, thankful to have Steve around in case anyone tried to interrupt.

“You look upset,” Blaine observed as they spread out their little picnic.

“It’s those little creeps that keep yelling.” Kurt reached out to take the sandwich Blaine offered him. “They’re just…bringing back bad memories I guess.”

Kurt didn’t usually talk about his past experiences with bullying except in the most general terms, but he laid it all out for Blaine: the locker slams, the verbal abuse, the fear, the feeling that no one cared that a piece of his soul was being chipped away on a daily basis. Blaine listened quietly, his hand holding tight to Kurt’s, reminding him that all of the harassment was in the past (well, as long as you discounted Twitter). When he was done, Blaine moved to sit behind him on the grass and leaned up against the tree trunk. He pulled Kurt to sit between his legs and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist (a blatant violation of PDA rules four and seven, which were technically still in place, but Kurt would let it slide just this once). With Kurt leaning back slightly, Blaine was able to rest his chin on Kurt’s shoulder.

They sat like that for a few minutes before Blaine began to speak. He told Kurt about a savage attack on himself and another boy during his freshman year of high school that had stripped him of his confidence, his faith in people, and his ability to take a deep breath for three months. Kurt could tell it wasn’t a story he told very often. The halting way he spoke while searching for the right words, the crack in his voice when he talked about how sometimes he still dreamt of ribs and other bones breaking, told Kurt more than anything else.

When he finished they were both quiet. A tear slipped down Kurt’s cheek and Blaine caught it on the tip of his finger. The comfort that they had both longed for in the past was now available. Late, but somehow also just in time.

They were roused by a call from a bullhorn asking everyone to return to set and they trudged back, determined to make the rest of the day better than the morning had been. Thankfully, a school official had been located and the bullies had been taken off to the office, hopefully to receive some kind of reprimand.

Filming finished up at a fast pace and within an hour the director declared a wrap. Kurt thanked the cast and crew for their work, signed a few autographs for the kids, and headed off to remove his make-up. When he was finished he poked his head out of the trailer and looked around, expecting Blaine to be waiting nearby. When there was no sign of him, he glanced over at Steve, who jerked his chin in the direction of the adjacent basketball court that was barely visible behind the production vehicles. Kurt headed towards the court with Steve following closely. Once he was past the trucks he saw that a group of kids was playing ball and right there playing with them, was Blaine.

He watched from the sidelines for a while, clapping when one of the kids scored and cheering loudly when Blaine did. Finally, the game wound down to its final minutes and Blaine lifted the smallest kid on the court (who must have been a kindergartener or first grader) up onto his shoulders so that he could make the winning basket. The rest of the team let out an elated cry and tackled Blaine to the ground in a time-honored sports dog pile.

Kurt had never wanted kids (a resounding “no”), so the sight of Blaine lying on the ground, covered in wiggling, laughing little bodies shouldn't have affected him like it did. He had no explanation for it (and would definitely deny it if asked), but he felt like his heart had melted into a little puddle and was now swirling about in his shoes. With his heart pounding, he reached down to pull his messenger bag closer, a little bit of extra armor against all the emotions bombarding him.

“Okay, Michael Jordan, it’s time to go,” he called out over the din of the player’s voices.

Blaine waved and bid goodbye to his teammates before jogging over to Kurt’s side. As they crossed back towards the car Blaine bumped his shoulder against Kurt’s and chuckled. “Michael Jordan? Now that’s an old reference.”

“It’s basketball, Blaine. I’m surprised I even had that name in my back pocket and that’s only because of those Hanes underwear commercials he did.”

Blaine laughed even harder. “Trust you to bring everything back to fashion.”

=^..^=

It was mid-December and the SAG nominations were due to be announced early (really early, like “Oh god, what the hell am I doing up at this time of day” early) Wednesday morning. From a lifetime spent watching the interviews of past nominees, Kurt knew that most people claimed that they hadn’t watched the nominations live or that they had forgotten about them entirely, so he purposefully decided not to watch. He could, of course, watch anyways and just pretend later that he hadn’t, but he figured he had already tip-toed to the edge of bad karma with the boyfriend lie, so he didn’t want to push his luck. So Tuesday night he set his alarm for seven o’clock, by which time the nominations would be long over, and crawled into bed beside Blaine (despite earlier decisions, they had been fooling themselves that he would be sleeping anywhere else and the room that they had been so determined that Blaine keep for himself was now just a glorified closet), determined to sleep through the whole thing.

Things did not go entirely as planned.

Kurt’s eyes popped open at four thirty-three the next morning and he was as awake as he would have been after drinking two cups of coffee. There was zero chance of going back to sleep. He squirmed under the weight of Blaine’s arm, trying to find a comfortable position where he could at least lay quietly and not wake Blaine up. He pushed his legs straight out then pulled them back in, wishing that he had been the big spoon. He wiggled a bit until he was lying on his back, but that wasn’t comfortable either, so he turned over the opposite way to face Blaine. No position felt right and he was so restless that he thought he might go a little mad if he didn’t move right away.

“I can hear you thinking.”

Blaine’s voice slid out of the silence of the room and Kurt dropped his head forward until their foreheads met. “I’m so sorry. I’m too keyed up to sleep.” He turned around and swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. “I’m going to go out into the living room so that you can sle—“ Strong arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him back to the mattress and he found himself looking up at a now very much awake Blaine.

“You told me to use any means necessary to keep you from turning the TV on before seven o’clock,” Blaine said, his voice still rough from sleep.

Kurt sighed and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, tugging until Blaine’s arms gave out and he collapsed, his body covering Kurt’s from chest to toes. “I did say that, didn’t I? Well, far be it for me to cause you to disobey direct orders from your employer.”

Blaine proceeded to use just the right means of distraction.

=^..^=

The sound of a phone ringing finally penetrated Kurt’s lust-filled brain and he froze. The sound must have reached Blaine also, because he slowly raised his head and looked over to the bedside table where Kurt’s phone sat. It took four more rings before Kurt had the wherewithal to reach over and answer it. He brought the phone to his ear and said a timid “hello”, almost afraid to hear who was on the other end.

Through the drumming sound of his heart and what seemed to be an entire sheep’s worth of wool stuck in his ears, Kurt heard Bev scream out that he had been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild award. He gave a dazed nod to Blaine, who let out a loud whooping noise and jumped to his feet on the bed to dance a little jig. Kurt listened as Bev listed out the other nominees in his category, several of whom were icons of the acting world. She then told him that two other cast members from _Defiance_ were up for individual awards and that the whole cast had been nominated for Outstanding Performance by an **Ensemble**. He didn’t remember the rest of the call (he hoped he had at least said goodbye and not just hung up on her) and the next thing he knew he was jumping on the bed with Blaine like a couple of five year olds.

Suddenly, Blaine stopped jumping and hopped down from the bed. He held one finger up to Kurt to indicate that he should wait and then disappeared out the door. Seconds later he returned carrying the largest bouquet of roses Kurt had ever seen and wearing a grin so large and goofy that his eyes scrunched up to the point that they almost disappeared. Blaine set the vase down on the table and reached a hand up to help Kurt down off the bed.

Once back on solid ground, Kurt launched himself at Blaine full force and wrapped his arms around his shoulders tightly, never wanting to let go. He felt Blaine’s arms encircle him in return, one hand sliding up his back to rub and scratch lightly.

“How did you…when…?” Kurt was so touched he couldn’t form a coherent sentence.

Blaine dipped his face into the curve of his neck and placed a kiss on his clavicle. “Kellie delivered them and put them in back while we were out yesterday then I hid them in the gym while you were showering last night.”

“But…what if I hadn’t…?”

“That was never going to happen,” Blaine stated firmly.

The words were said with such confidence and unwavering belief that they brought tears to Kurt’s eyes. Outside of his dad, he didn’t think anyone had ever believed in him so much or been so absolutely sure that he deserved every good thing that could possibly come his way. Emotion threatened to overwhelm him and he was sure he was about to do or say something completely embarrassing when his phone trilled to indicate the arrival of several text messages. He reluctantly loosened his arms and moved away from Blaine, reaching down to pick up the phone. The word on his nomination was out and the whirlwind of the Hollywood publicity machine was about to overtake him. Plans were made for him to go to Lynn’s office for a series of interviews, so he dressed in a jacket that made him feel extremely confident and headed off to face the onslaught.

The interviews were plentiful and repetitive. Kurt had been in Hollywood less than a year, and known for only half of that, but he could already predict with alarming accuracy what questions were going to be asked in each one. He related the story of how he had gotten the part in _Defiance_ about 10 times and told the (much sanitized) anecdote of how he heard about his nomination that morning at least double that. He never understood why the reporters didn’t at least make an attempt to ask different questions. The best way to get people to read or watch an interview was to get new information out into the world, right?

In between interviews he checked his email and Twitter. He sent out a Tweet thanking his fans for their support and then began sending heartfelt thanks to his friends and family who had contacted him.

=^..^=

The whole ordeal was repeated the next morning for the Golden Globes. Kurt announced that he had started a personal tradition (Blaine was quickly corrected when he called it a superstition) by not watching the SAG nominations, so he once again asked Blaine to help keep his attention focused elsewhere the next morning as he waited for a call. Blaine was only too happy to oblige.

He was in the middle of worshiping the enticing spot where Kurt’s collarbone jutted out slightly when the phone rang. Blaine sucked in a deep breath and rolled off of Kurt, trying to get his passions under control, as there would probably be no more ‘distracting’ for the day, no matter what news Bev had to relate. He watched Kurt answer the phone and knew immediately that the news was good. Within moments Kurt was off the phone and excitedly telling Blaine about his second Best Supporting Actor nomination in two days. All of his words were running together, but Blaine was able to make out information on the other nominations for the movie, including that of Best Song for the new number that had been added to the movie for Kurt’s character.

There were congratulatory calls and texts and more interviews were scheduled. While Kurt sat on his bed with his laptop open, his phone in one hand and Blaine’s in the other, Blaine padded off to the kitchen to whip up a breakfast that would sustain Kurt until dinner, if necessary.

As he waited for the skillet to heat up, Blaine reflected on the past two weeks. After an admittedly rocky start and the few tentative days after it, he and Kurt had come away with a new paradigm for their relationship. Blaine tried to be a little less protective when they were out and about, knowing that Steve was there to take on that role, and Kurt was more apt to dig his heals in and protest about little things that bothered him. The unspoken sexual tension had been replaced with an easy rapport that made him wake with a smile each morning. One thing that hadn’t changed was the enjoyment they got out of being in each other’s company and the sense of understanding and being understood that filled him whenever they were together.

Though the charade that they had perpetrated for the press and the resulting spotlight had been a challenge, he was thankful for it now. It was hard enough starting out in a new relationship; he couldn’t imagine what it was like when you had to simultaneously get used to the paparazzi and the challenges of dating someone in the entertainment industry. At least he had been able to acclimatize himself to all of that without the heightened emotions he was now experiencing.

Blaine tried to keep out of the way of the interviews as much as possible. He wasn’t needed in an official capacity, since Kurt was safely tucked away again in Lynn’s office and the in-person interviews were being carried out only by correspondents from well-known publications, but he had been told by Kurt, in no uncertain terms, that he was needed there in his role as real-life boyfriend.

Now that the reporters had had a day to find (and create) stories for the various nominations, the tone of the interviews changed a little. While Blaine still heard Kurt answer the same questions over and over (he was amazed at how Kurt made each repetition of his answer sound like it was the first time he had ever told it), he now saw a narrative unfolding that made him grit his teeth in frustration and wonder why people couldn’t just let good things happen to good people.

Many of the reporters were implying that a rivalry existed between Kurt and Don Hampton, another actor nominated for Best Supporting Actor, who was an outspoken conservative and had made a few anti-gay comments in the past year. Odds-makers were naming Kurt and Hampton as the front-runners in their category and the press was circling the potential tension like sharks that had just smelled blood, willing to manufacture a story if one didn’t really exist.

Kurt just smiled at the reporter’s attempts to start a feud and replied that he was happy for _all_ of his fellow nominees and was looking forward to meeting them at the various events. Blaine knew that Kurt couldn’t allow himself to get upset at their questions, so he did it for him.

He was able to keep his cool, though, until confronted with an extra touchy-feely reporter who felt that his job allowed him to hug Kurt. Blaine could see how uncomfortable Kurt was with the invasion of his personal space (seriously, Blaine had never seen anyone with a more obvious ‘do not touch’ vibe than Kurt) and wanted to show the reporter some of the moves he had for subduing attackers. Instead, he tightened his grip on his emotions and just leaned casually against the wall and crossed his arms, allowing the muscles in his arms to flex, thankful that he had worn a short-sleeved polo that day that allowed for maximum visibility. He must have made some impression on the man holding the microphone, because the arm wrapped around Kurt went slack and he backed up a few steps before clearing his throat and haltingly asking his next question.

The rest of the day continued without incident, just more of the same boring questions. In the middle of the last interview scheduled for the day (which thankfully was over the phone and not on camera, because it looked like Kurt was down to his last nerve), Blaine watched as Kurt pulled out his phone. A few seconds later Blaine felt a buzzing in his hand and he looked down to see a message.

_Help, I’m being bored to death by pedestrian and repetitive questions. Get me a university trained journalist, stat!_

After a few more minutes he felt another buzz.

_So hungry :(_

Then finally

_Feed. Me._

Just as he read the last message he saw Kurt’s boot enter his line of sight.

“Feed me now or lose me forever,” Kurt breathed into his ear.

Blaine reached out to rub the worry lines on Kurt’s forehead. “If you’re going to quote _Top Gun_ I think I prefer the original version of that line.”

Kurt leaned into the massage, the tension dropping away from his shoulders. “First things first. Unless you feed me there will be nothing left of me to take to bed. Come on, I hear a pizza calling my name.”

They found the pizza in question and devoured it, along with breadsticks, soda, and dessert.  As he watched Kurt scrape up the last remnants of his New York cheesecake with strawberries, Blaine couldn’t contain a small chuckle. “I always thought actors only ate celery and salad.”

“I’m a stress eater,” Kurt said with his mouth full. “I’m frankly surprised I didn’t weight 500 pounds in high school. Just don’t tell my dad about this. I’m all over him to eat better, and I usually try myself, but sometimes grease and sugar are the only things that will satisfy.”

“The only things, huh?” Blaine gave him his best sultry look, lowering his head and looking up at him through his eyelashes, which he knew drove Kurt crazy.

“Blaine…” Kurt leaned forward across the table. “Take me to bed or lose me forever… But give me a hickey and I’ll never have sex with you again. I mean it. I have a photo shoot the day after tomorrow.”

=^..^=

Kurt’s people had been contacted by Entertainment Weekly the month before about him doing a photo shoot for them that would involve some spicy recreations of scenes involving iconic movie couples, only with two men instead of the original man and woman. The photos were going to accompany a major article that was being written about gender roles in the cinema and the increasing acceptance of gay romance.

Kurt had an early call time, since the photographer had at least 7 different scenes in mind to recreate. Like his previous photo shoot, this one was being held in a studio, so it was decided that Steve wasn’t needed and it was only Kurt, Blaine, and Lynn who were dropped off at six o’clock a.m.

After he was introduced to the photographer and the rest of the crew, Kurt was hurried into make-up and wardrobe for the first set-up, a recreation of the kissing in the rain scene from _The Notebook_. Kurt had to swallow back a gulp of fear as the photographer described what they would be doing. Luckily, it seemed that they weren’t going to do the actual kiss, but instead the moment just before when the couple was staring into each other’s eyes. He had never had a romantic scene with a man on camera before and here he was about to re-enact an iconic one with a model he had yet to meet. No pressure.

Kurt was going to be playing the part of Noah in the photo, so he was dressed in dark jeans and a white shirt that he knew would become see-through when the water hit him. He made his way onto set and was introduced to Antonio, the model he would be shooting with. From Antonio’s looks, it was obvious that they had tried to cast someone that resembled Blaine. He was about an inch shorter than Kurt, with dark hair and hazel eyes, but the resemblance was shallow at best. His features were perfect and chiseled, but Kurt preferred the imperfect beauty of the original, from the slightly too-wide nose, to the triangle shaped eyebrows that often resulted in a quizzical expression, to the deceptively strong arms and tiny waist.

The shoot began, but Kurt was uncomfortable and he knew it showed in the photos. He felt overly self-conscious every time the water began to pour down and he lifted Antonio into his arms. He could feel frustration rolling off the photographer in waves, but he just couldn’t seem to let go and give him what he wanted. Kurt felt like a failure as an actor and couldn’t figure out why this was such a problem for him. As he picked Antonio up one more time and tried to gaze passionately into his eyes he silently took back every judgmental comment he had thrown at the contestants of _America’s Next Top Model_ when he was younger; modeling with another person was much harder than it looked.

After a quick break to repair make-up and re-adjust costumes, they tried again. As he picked Antonio up one more time he saw a glint in the other man’s eyes, but wasn’t sure what it meant until he felt their lips touch. He was so shocked that he didn’t react until he felt a clammy tongue trying to force its way into his mouth. He yelped and opened his arms so abruptly that Antonio crashed to the ground at his feet. A production assistant rushed forward to help a cursing Antonio off the water soaked floor as Kurt stormed over to Lynn, who was just coming in from outside, her phone in one hand.

“I’m trying really hard not to have a diva moment here, Lynn,” he ground out.

“Why?” she asked, looking past him to watch the PA scurry for a towel. “What’s wrong?”

Kurt crossed his arms and flicked his head back towards the set. “I think Antonio there is having a hard time remembering which of our mouths his tongue belongs in.”

The murderous expression on Lynn’s face made Kurt take a step back and his eyes followed her in awe as she stormed over to the photographer and magazine representative. Kurt watched the angry pantomime that followed, unsure of what they were saying, but positive that Lynn was coming out on top.

Finally she turned away with a triumphant expression and returned to Kurt’s side, pausing for just a second to give Antonio, who was by then wrapped in a towel and sulking in the corner, a glare colder than a fresh cherry slushie.

“I took care of it,” she reported as she rejoined Kurt. “Antonio’s out.”

“Uh, these are supposed to be iconic movie _couples_ , right? Who am I going to partner with now?”

Lynn looked over Kurt’s shoulder and he turned his head to follow her gaze to Blaine, who was in the make-up room chatting with the hair stylist about styling products. He obviously felt their eyes on him, for he looked up and gave them an unsuspecting smile. Kurt looked back to Lynn with a conspiratorial grin.

Blaine protested at first, adamant that he wasn’t the right choice for a modeling job, but some sad pouting and a whispered promise from Kurt of a hand job in the car on the way home finally convinced him.

Thankfully, since the model has been Blaine-esque in size the stylist thought that all of the wardrobe would fit with only some slight adjustments. Antonio was stripped of his blue shirt while being escorted out of the building and the stylists swarmed around Blaine to get him dressed and into make-up.

Blaine joined Kurt on set, and though Kurt could see that he was nervous, he could also see complete trust and faith that Kurt would help him through everything. With Blaine now in the mix, the photographer changed the plan, telling them that he wanted to now capture the moment of the famous kiss itself. They took their places and the water began to fall. Kurt picked Blaine up in his arms and Blaine wrapped his legs around Kurt’s waist. The photographer gave the go-ahead and Blaine leaned forward to grasp Kurt’s head lightly. Their lips slammed together and the camera flash fired.

Needless to say, the rest of the shoot went smoothly, despite Blaine’s unfamiliarity with being in front of the camera.

After they had dried off and been re-styled, their next assignment was to channel Rhett and Scarlett from _Gone with the Wind_. Throughout the day they bounced back-and-forth across the decades and centuries as they became Fred and Ginger, Johnny and Baby, _From Here to Eternity_ ’s Milton and Karen (though fully clothed, thank you very much), and Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

The final set-up of the day had Kurt laughing out loud. They sat at a table covered with a red and white checkered cloth and each held the end of a piece of spaghetti in their mouths.

“I can’t believe I’m sitting in a photography studio recreating a scene from _Lady and the Tramp_ ,” Kurt tried to enunciate while keeping ahold of the pasta. “I’m not sure this is how I envisioned life as a star when I was a kid.”

Blaine tilted his head towards Kurt a little and tried to give “those big heart-eyes we always see from you” as directed by the photographer. “What did you expect?” he said, as the flashes popped.

Kurt smiled, his eyes nearly crossing from looking at Blaine from so close. “Shrines erected in my name, designers dedicating entire seasons of work to me, a hag for every day of the week, men covered in baby oil lounging by the pool. The usual.”

“Well, I can’t help with the clothes or the hags, but I’ve got a bottle of baby oil in my bathroom.”

“Promises, promises.”


	17. Chapter 17

_Guise! Guise! I’m a caterer in LA and we were working on a photo shoot and you’ll never believe who it was for! Kurt Hummel!!!!!!! And that isn’t even the best part_ _— the model they originally had left early – maybe he got sick idk – and Blaine replaced him in the shoot! asdkfhsskdfjd  I repeat – Kurt and Blaine took photos toGETHER! I don’t want to give everything away, but it got pretty steamy and I SAW KURT HUMMEL IN A WET SEE-THROUGH SHIRT. You won't believe how sEXY they were. Hnnnnngh. OK, I just can’t leave you with that. Three words. Classic movie couples. Shhhhh…you didn’t get it from me._

_Bless your cow_

_If this is true you are the best person to live, ever. Shh, just let me love you_

_Omg rl otp right here. They are perfect together. I’m cry [kristen_bell_sloth_crying image]_

_Pictures or it didn't happen_

_If you are a troll I swear to god… #this is me blogging from the afterlife_

_We won’t live through the sex riot those pics are going to cause. the mayans got the date wrong the world will end in 2019_

_Where is the porn for this guys? I will bake a million cookies for whoever writes this._

_Dear santa, I’ve been a good girl all year. Please send smut, love me_

_I may have just written 5k sweet and filthy, filthy words on this [I_regret_nothing_chicken image]_

=^..^=                                                                                                                                              

Things were going smoothly. Too smoothly, in fact. Every morning Kurt woke up to his flourishing career, the buzz about his award nominations, and his perfect boyfriend (well, perfect for him at least) and he wondered when it was all going to go wrong.

He started to psych himself out a bit, seeing problems and obstacles where they didn’t exist. He was positive he wasn’t going to win any of the awards, that no matter how much training he did he wouldn’t be able to impress the producers of the _X-men_ reboot and most importantly, he began to worry that Blaine didn’t feel as deeply for him as he felt for Blaine. He was concerned that maybe Blaine’s politeness and his unwillingness to cause friction, might be masking some doubts or reservations about their relationship. Was Kurt pushing things further and faster than Blaine wanted? Did Blaine consider the whole thing just a casual fling? Was Kurt seeing something that wasn’t really there? It wouldn’t be the first time, after all.

He attributed most of his uncertainty to the original fake boyfriend lie. Before they had gotten together for real, Blaine had been very convincing when they were out in public. Article after article had mentioned the ‘heart eyes’ he directed at Kurt and the sweet little touches between them that showed how ‘in love’ they were. When their relationship had changed, the behavior didn’t really. It just got…more. More frequent, more personal, more meaningful. But if Kurt couldn’t really tell the difference between what Blaine had done just for the cameras and what he did now, how was he supposed to trust that it was all real?

In an effort to occupy his mind with something other than obsessive thoughts on the subject, Kurt curled up in the oversized chair in his bedroom with his tablet and went to Broadway dot com to catch up on the latest news. After reading about the problems with the latest revival of _Oklahoma!_ (who in the world had thought that staging it in modern day London would work? The name of the show was _Oklahoma!_ for Pete’s sake) and an announcement that the _Wicked_ 15 th anniversary concert that had been staged in October was now available on iTunes he clicked over to the news page and was surprised to find a picture of himself.

In the photo he was standing in a store, his back to the camera, his face reflected in the giant mirror that he was looking in as he held up a sweater (hand-dyed wool and marvelous — he’d bought it in blue and red). The photo had been taken just the day before. He and Blaine had driven past the shop on the way back from a meeting when Kurt had seen the sweater in the window and demanded (nicely, with all sorts of promises for private payment once they got back home) that they circle back to check it out. Blaine was standing off to the side facing the camera and he was looking at Kurt with such an enamored expression that Kurt felt his stomach swoop. Those were the heart eyes that everyone kept referring to, the look that said that Blaine had so much emotion inside of him that he had to let it out and he didn’t care who saw it.

And they hadn’t known the paparazzi were there that day.

Blaine was looking at Kurt like he hung the moon and the stars and then turned around and invented bow ties and as far as he knew it there _was no one else there to witness it_. Not even Kurt was looking at him. There was no need in that moment to fake something that he didn’t really feel.

It was a real. Those were real heart eyes.

Suddenly Kurt felt the doubts and fears of the past couple of days disappear. He was making something up in his head alright, but it wasn’t Blaine’s feelings for him.

=^..^=

The Monday after the nominations were announced, Kurt got a call from Lynn to tell him that he had been asked to appear on the _Ellen_ show that Wednesday. As soon as he hung up the phone he bounced around the house, squealing and laughing, and he would have turned a cartwheel if he thought that the seaming in his vintage tuxedo-style shirt could have withstood the strain. While the other talk shows he had appeared on were great, he had always wanted to meet Ellen Degeneres and could be excused for kind of freaking out.

Ellen didn’t like her interviews to be as pre-defined as on other talk shows, but she had asked for a list of things he might want to talk about outside of the awards, so he and Blaine spent an hour giggling and coming up with a list of topics to send over to her production staff.

After Blaine (rightfully) talked him out of trying to do some last minute shopping for a new ensemble, Kurt holed himself up in his room and didn’t come out until he had assembled the perfect outfit. He finally selected a grey brocade Vivian Westwood waistcoat with a corset-style back and a black and grey patterned shirt that made his pale skin glow, remembering the glint in Blaine’s eyes whenever he wore a vest that emphasized his waist.  He paired it with a pair of tight black pants and his favorite knee-high laced boots. He would admit it all added up to a very dramatic look, but it was very much him.

As he, Lynn, Steve, and Blaine waited in the green room for him to be called to the stage, he couldn’t help but think about everything that had changed since the first time he and Blaine had sat around waiting for his talk show interview to begin. He almost felt like he was now a totally different person; he was happier, of that there was no doubt, but he also felt more confident and much more willing to open himself up to others. He was closer to Bev and Lynn and now considered them friends as well as colleagues. How could so much have happened in just a few short months? He admitted Blaine was the catalyst, but knew that he had simply freed pieces of Kurt that were already there. It was like this was the person he was always meant to be.

Ellen had come in to meet them earlier and after some embarrassing fawning from both Kurt and Blaine (which had included words like “inspirational” and “role-model”), she had stayed and spoken with them for several minutes. Before, Kurt might have looked on her actions cynically and thought that she must spend the same amount of time speaking with every guest and that she didn’t really mean the kind things she said, but now he saw someone who genuinely liked meeting new people and who was truly interested in him as a person and not just as a commodity. He wondered if it was presumptuous to give her his phone number and beg her pathetically to be his friend?

The interview went well and though Ellen asked questions on some familiar topics —like his recent nominations and how he was dealing with fame— her take was fresh and Kurt found himself enjoying the interview more than any other he had done. He blushed wildly when the conversation turned to his relationship with Blaine and he stumbled over his words to the delight of the audience.

A photo of him and Blaine talking in Lynn’s office on Golden Globe nomination day flashed up on the screen behind them. The audience gave a big simultaneous “awww” and Ellen smiled as he grew even more flustered. “Well, I think you two are about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

The photo changed to one of him and Blaine surrounded by kids at the PSA filming and Kurt explained about the upcoming ‘no texting and driving’ campaign. The photo switched again, this time showing them in their tuxedos during a break from the ‘Fred and Ginger’ set-up of their recent photo shoot. There were gasps from the crowd at the photo and Kurt saw at least a few women fan themselves as they apparently overheated.

“Wow,” Ellen said after waiting for the audience to calm down. “I must say that you two make a spectacularly good looking couple and have set the bar way too high for the rest of the world.”

Kurt flushed again and was very happy when they moved on to other subjects. Finally, the interview started to draw to a close and when he admitted his secret shame of liking reality TV, which had been on the list of topics he had sent over ahead of time, Ellen had a surprise for him.

She announced that they were going to play a game, where she would ask him questions about reality TV and each time he gave a wrong answer the other participant in the game would be pelted with some food item. He’d seen the game played before, so he followed her to the side of the stage excitedly, expecting an audience member to come out as the potential victim for the food throwing. He looked towards the entrance and his heart leapt a bit as Blaine walked out. The roar the audience gave when they recognized him only grew when Blaine paused to kiss Kurt on the cheek on his way to the game area.

Kurt laughed as Blaine went to stand on the platform, but inside he was nervous. The questions asked during this game were usually hard or really random and he didn’t want to get Blaine hit in the face with a pie (which had just been unveiled as one of the options, along with a bowl of chocolate pudding, a heaping pile of powdered sugar, and a strawberry milk shake).

Ellen picked up her note cards and asked the first question. “Which of these was not featured in an episode of _My Plastic Surgery Obsession_? A woman who had cat ears, whiskers, and a tail surgically implanted; a man who had a total facial reconstruction so that he no longer looked like his conjoined twin; or a woman who had 53 surgeries in an attempt to look like the _Woman at a Window_ painting by Picasso?”

Kurt’s mind froze. “Oh my God, I don’t watch that show. I-I…” He looked at Blaine helplessly and guessed. “The twin?”

“Nope, it was the last one. She actually had 15 surgeries in order to look like the _Mona Lisa_.”

“I’m so sorry,” he mouthed silently at Blaine as the pile of powdered sugar was sent flying up to his face. Blaine laughed as the sugar cloud settled around him and Kurt got an evil idea.

“Which one of these has not been the subject of its own reality show: styling salon make-overs, a hair restoration doctor’s practice, a business that resells items found in the sewers, or a ten year-old child who still breastfeeds?”

He and Blaine had talked at length about reality shows and he knew which one was the fake (and Blaine knew that he knew it), but he scrunched his face up to show that he was thinking really hard and then gave the wrong answer. Blaine’s eyes widened as the chocolate pudding launched towards him, coating his neck and chest. He looked in disbelief at Kurt, who just shrugged and smiled innocently. Finally he saw comprehension on Blaine’s face as he realized what Kurt had in store for him.

He really didn’t know the answer to the third question and his incorrect guess sent the milk shake soaring. It landed perfectly on Blaine’s head and dripped down his face, catching on his ridiculously long eyelashes and dribbling onto his lips, where he licked it away.

Ellen commented that Blaine was looking very delicious then held up the card to ask the last question. “Name the famous fashion designer who got their start by winning _Project Runway_ ”

Blaine tensed and looked down at Kurt, who pretended to think long and hard on that one. “Hmm…Gosh Ellen, I can’t think of who that is. My mind’s a total blank,” he stated with a sorrowful look in Blaine’s direction.

It was then that Ellen and the audience caught on to the fact that Kurt was throwing the game and they howled in delight. Blaine yelped playfully as the pie was flung, hitting him square in the face. Kurt laughed so hard he nearly fell over as he waited for Blaine to be helped off the platform. Blaine wiped a bit of pie filling from his eye, smiled, and rushed towards Kurt with his arms thrown open. Kurt’s eyes widened in horror (his Vivian Westwood!) and he began to back away. Blaine came after him and Kurt squeaked as he took off running and the chase was on. They dodged furniture and crew members, ran up into the audience section, and Kurt even hid behind Ellen in his attempt to avoid Blaine’s embrace. Finally, Blaine cornered Kurt and whispered “It’ll dry clean,” just as he enfolded Kurt in his arms and kissed him. When the kiss was over, Kurt pulled back to find himself covered in food from lips to stomach. The audience screamed their appreciation and Ellen sank onto her chair as she collapsed in giggles. Blaine looked worried that maybe he had gone too far, so Kurt looped his arms around his shoulders and hugged him tight, smearing the sticky and sweet mess even further.

They both showered and changed in the dressing room (Blaine had thankfully been given protective clothing for the game and Kurt had his street clothes with him) before heading back to the greenroom where Lynn was waiting with Bev and her husband, Kurt’s make-up artist friend Christine, Christine’s young daughter Laura, Kellie, and Kellie’s boyfriend Rodney.

Bev and Jamal congratulated Kurt first, needing to say their goodbyes and leave, as they were on their way to Jamaica to visit Jamal’s parents for an extended holiday. Jamal was an extremely tall man with hands that dwarfed Kurt’s and made him feel like he was a child again. His booming voice filled the room and his accent was one that Kurt could listen to for hours, though it always made him want to listen to some Bob Marley afterwards. They had met on a few occasions and Kurt had always envied the way he looked at Bev, like she was the brightest thing in the universe.

Kellie and Rodney approached him next. Rodney, who, with his long bleached blond hair and tan looked more like a surfer than the pastry chef Kurt remembered him to be, thanked Kurt for letting him and Kellie attend the taping. Kurt was amazed by the strength of his handshake and wondered if such upper body strength came from kneading things (did pastry chefs knead?). He saw Blaine wince at the initial grip of Rodney’s hand and put more pressure into his own grip. Kurt wondered for a second if one of them was going to challenge the other to an arm wrestling competition, because that wasn’t something he would object to.

Kurt felt a tugging on his shirt and looked down to see Laura, who proceeded to profess her love for him and began to sing him her version of his most famous song from _Defiance_. Everyone clapped enthusiastically when she finished and she curtsied, holding out the edges of her hot pink poufy skirt with her fingertips. Kurt signed an autograph for her while agreeing to her request to attend his next movie premier. Christine mouthed a silent apology for her daughter’s pushiness, but Kurt shook his head and smiled to let her know he wasn’t bothered.

Kurt needed to stay longer to talk with Lynn, so he and Blaine stayed behind as everyone else headed out towards their cars.  On her way out the door, Kellie gave Kurt a quick hug and whispered “Bev told me you and Blaine made this thing real. I’m so very happy for you.” She kissed his cheek and threaded her arm through Rodney’s as they left. Kurt just stood looking after her with a stupid grin on his face.

“What?” Blaine asked as he came up behind him.

“Nothing. I just love getting congratulations now that we’re actually dating. It just felt awkward when it wasn’t real, you know? But now? It feels really good.”

=^..^=

An hour later they were done at the studio and were on their way home when Blaine noticed something strange. “Bill, could you do me a favor and take the next left and then keep making left turns until you’re back on this street?” Bill met his eyes in the rear view mirror and nodded before taking the next turn.  Blaine exchanged a pointed look with Steve and turned to watch out the back window as they made their way through Burbank. As Bill continued to make turns, the same silver sedan that Blaine had noticed behind them before kept appearing. The license plate was splashed with mud so he couldn’t read it, but he knew from the broken front headlight that it was the same vehicle. While it was common place for paparazzi to follow celebrities, they were usually easy to spot as they all seemed to drive identical black SUVs. In addition, they typically didn’t try and hang back and not be noticed; their goal was to follow the celebrity to wherever they were going, not be stealthy and secretive. The car that Blaine had noticed was making sure to stay several cars behind theirs and had blacked-out windows that would not be super-conducive to photo taking.

Finally, Bill turned the car back onto their original street. If the suspicious car made the complete circuit with them then it was obvious that they had a tail. They were about half a block down the road when a silver glint caught Blaine’s eye. “Bill, I think there’s someone following us. Do you think you can lose them or —“

“No problem, Blaine,” Bill assured him. “I’m trained for this.”

Blaine asked Kurt to make sure his seat belt was tightened as the car picked up speed. Kurt looked worried and kept glancing back to see if he could spot the problem, so Blaine picked up his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. Bill made a series of quick turns and soon there was no sign of the other car. Bill continued to drive out of their way by several miles before taking an alternate route back to Kurt’s house. Blaine’s heart was thumping in his chest and wasn’t returning to a normal rhythm as fast as he would like. Having an emotional attachment to his client was definitely affecting his performance and he needed to make sure to keep his eyes open.

=^..^=

Kurt tried to put thoughts of the stalker’s possible re-emergence from his mind, but he soon got a distraction that was decidedly unwelcome. A new adaption of _A Tale of Two Cities_ was being cast and Kurt had begged his agent to get him an audition. Unfortunately, the answer from the studio had been a resounding ‘no’. The producer of the film was notorious for thinking that gay actors couldn’t convincingly play straight and had refused to even audition Kurt.

While the news hadn’t been totally unexpected, Kurt was still disappointed and discouraged. His nominations hadn’t made the difference he was hoping they would, at least not in this instance. After he told Blaine the news and moped for a bit, Kurt curled up in his comfy chair with a book, trying to take his mind off of things. After an hour of reading the same page over and over, Kurt gave up and tossed the book aside. It had been a while since he’d heard anything from Blaine so he wandered out of the bedroom to track him down.

He followed the sounds of cabinets opening and closing to the kitchen and found Blaine standing in front of the kitchen island, a ‘kiss the cook’ apron around his waist. “You’re cooking?”

Blaine jumped at the sound of Kurt’s voice and smiled over his shoulder. “You’re not the only one that can cook in this house, you know. I thought I proved that at Thanksgiving.”

“You did, I’m just surprised, that’s all. Whatcha makin’?” Kurt rested his cheek against the back of Blaine’s head and closed his eyes, exhausted.

“Mm…‘fancy’ and ‘French’ are the only hints you get.” Blaine turned around and made a little ‘shooing’ movement with his hands. “Now kindly leave me to create my work of art in peace.”

An hour and a half later they were eating Chateaubriand and cheese soufflés. “I can’t believe you made me a soufflé,” Kurt exhaled as he took a bite and the pastry melted in his mouth. “Do you know how many hours I spent trying to teach my dad how to make these? This seals it. You are the perfect man. I’m going to have to keep you locked up here in this house to keep you away from all the other gay men that will be after you once this gets out.”

Blaine blushed and primly cut off a bite-sized piece of meat. “I got this recipe from the chef at a house I worked in last year. The parents were always throwing dinner parties, so they had the best food. He taught me how to make soufflés the last month I was there.”

“He?” Kurt asked with raised eyebrows.

“Yes, he. Jean-Pierre,” Blaine smiled as he put an elbow on the table and set his chin in his hand, a dreamy look on his face. “Tall, dark, handsome—” Kurt felt a knot begin to form in his chest, “—60 years old and happily married to the housekeeper for the last 25 of those years.” Kurt let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and Blaine patted his hand while trying to hide his grin behind a napkin.

They ate in silence for a while and just as Kurt thoughts turned back to the lost audition Blaine leaned forward, his eyes glowing in the candlelight. “Don’t let him get you down, Kurt. For every guy like him there are a hundred that will want you for your talent no matter how straight or how gay the role.”

“I just can’t believe I still have to deal with this crap in this day and age,” Kurt sniffed.

Blaine pulled Kurt up by the hand and settled him on his lap. “You are going to go on to do such brilliant things that the producer guy is going to look back on this as one of the worst decisions of his career. They’ll probably hire some muscle bound guy that can’t act, but looks good standing next to the lead actress and the movie will bomb because despite them both being straight there’s no chemistry.  Did they learn nothing from Channing Tatum?”

Kurt snorted and laid his head of Blaine’s shoulder. “You always know just what to say. I think I just really need to cry to get it out of my system. You know, in a the-tenth-doctor-goes-to-see-all-his-past-companions-one-last-time-and-doesn’t-want-to-die kind of way.

“You watched _Doctor Who_? I didn’t know you liked sci-fi.”

Kurt loved the vibrations that soaked into his body as Blaine talked and he had to concentrate to pull his attention back to what Blaine was saying. “Sci-fi? Are you kidding? That show was tragic romance on an epic scale. Ten was meant to be with Rose, Blaine. And she got trapped in another universe. Another _universe_.”

“Well, if you need to cry you can go right ahead. Or…since dessert still has to cool some more, we could watch a movie?  I’ll let you pick.”

“How about Newsies?” Kurt asked hopefully. “The new one from a few years ago based on the stage version.”

“You got it,” Blaine agreed as he lifted Kurt up. “Go ahead and get it started and I’ll just clear the table.”

After the movie was over, Blaine excused himself to prepare dessert and coffee. Kurt’s eyes widened in awe when he saw Blaine walk into the room carrying a tray laden down with two coffee mugs and what looked to be two giant slices of cheesecake. After helping himself to a plate, Kurt slid his fork through the creamy dessert and picked up a bite, making sure to get all the layers. “Caramel?”

“Salted caramel with chocolate cookie crust.”

“Mmmmm,” Kurt moaned loudly, his mouth still full of his first bite. “You should quit this bodyguard thing and open up a pastry shop. Maybe you can get a job with Rodney. This is amazing.”

“If you don’t stop making those noises I’m not going to be able to leave you alone long enough to let you finish it,” Blaine rasped, his eyes on Kurt’s lips.

“I’ll bite your hand if you try and take this away from me. And it won’t be the sexy kind of biting, either.” Kurt curled protectively around his plate and sent Blaine a mock glare.

It was the first really cold day of the year in L.A., so after they had finished the cheesecake and put all the dishes away in the dishwasher they started a fire for the first time. Kurt did an excited shimmy as he struck the match and the fire took hold. His previous house hadn’t had a fire place and he was excited to have a place to snuggle with his sweetie (oh no, was that a pet name?).

They piled pillows and blankets on the floor in front of the fire and burrowed in. There, sitting in front of the fire, Kurt wondered how Blaine could make him feel so good when things are going wrong. It was like some magical power he had and Kurt wasn’t sure if he could ever live without it again.

=^..^=

The day before they left for Lima was a busy one. After Ohio they would be going on to New York for the final filming of scenes for Kurt’s movie, so Kurt had to pack for several weeks — both family casual and New York fabulous —  and only had three suitcases to do it in.

Clothes had been arriving daily from designers from all over the world who hoped to dress Kurt for the red carpet and other events surrounding the awards. While there were many formal options, a lot of the clothes were in the daily wear category, which would be perfect for New York.

It was eight hours before their flight and Kurt still hadn’t packed. Suits and the more traditional options were draped over every surface of the living room, while more cutting edge and risky pieces were laid out in the bedroom. Kurt could feel Blaine’s amusement as he watched Kurt pace back-and-forth between the two rooms as he tried to narrow the selections down. Finally he had ruled out enough items that all the remaining candidates could fit in one room.

“What selection criteria are you using?” Blaine asked from the doorway, having already finished his own packing.

“Hmm…hopefully some things that will work in both places, since I am woefully and criminally short on space, but overall I’m looking for conservative and comfortable for Ohio and for New York…Outrageous and cutting edge things that will layer well with lots of incredible outwear and boots. And scarves.” He let a black and silver scarf slide through his fingers as he considered it thoughtfully. “I’m going to make an embarrassing confession. Please don't judge me. So remember how I told you I’ve been watching _Fashion Police_ since I was a teenager? Sometimes I wear a certain outfit only in the hopes that it will get me featured on the show. OK, fine, you can judge me.”

Blaine held both hands up and waved away Kurt’s concerns. “Zero judgment, I swear.”

“You’re just in time to see me make a Sophie’s Choice between these black Balenciaga boots and these silver Doc Martens.” Kurt shook his head sadly. “Either way my heart will be broken.”

“Well…there just may be something I can do about that. It turns out I pack slightly lighter than you —I know it’s shocking — so I happen to have an extra suitcase and thought you might find a use for it?” Blaine reached around the doorframe and pulled a large black bag into the room. “I know it’s not Rimowa like the rest of your pieces, but —“

He was cut off by the impact of Kurt’s body against his. Kurt draped his arms around his neck and squeezed tightly before leaning back to give him a quick kiss. “And that is why you are my favorite.” He gave a blinding smile as he reached down to grab the bag and pull it further into the room. “Good news, my lovely Balenciagas,” he sang out as he headed back towards the bed. “You are going to get to see the bright lights of New York City after all!”

=^..^=

Blaine and Kurt spent a leisurely morning finishing up their packing and preparing to leave the house for a few weeks. Their plane didn’t leave until midnight, so they had the whole day to get things done, but Kurt was so organized that everything was finished by ten o’clock.

“Let’s go grab a coffee and stop by that botanical shop. I want to get Carole some of that face cream I told her about at Thanksgiving. I don’t think I have enough for her stocking,” Kurt suggested as he set his last suitcase by the front door.

“Stockings?” Blaine couldn’t believe that he had forgotten about Christmas stockings. “I didn’t get anything. Maybe we should stop at that sporting goods store too —“

Kurt draped a scarf around Blaine’s neck and kept ahold of the ends to pull him in for a kiss. “Don’t worry. I’ve got it covered. The cream is the last thing I need and all the stockings will be full. Come on, I’m about to have a caffeine crash. I only had one cup this morning.”

They got in the car and headed down the driveway. Blaine was just about to hit the button to open the gate when he noticed something strange. He stopped the car and squinted a little, trying to make out what it was.

“Is that someone sitting against the gate?” Kurt asked as he too tried to figure out what the shape was against the metal bars of the gate.

Blaine put the car into reverse and pulled back into the garage. He gave Kurt terse instructions to stay inside and went to his room to grab the gun that was concealed in his dresser drawer.

He made his way slowly down to the gate, keeping his eye out for any sign of movement. As he got closer he could see that Kurt was right; the shape did look as if someone was sitting on the ground next to the road. He shifted the gun in his hand, tightening his grasp as he drew closer. Finally, he could see that that shape was actually two mannequins that were laid out against the gate. One was dressed in fashionable clothes and a red scarf, with shiny boots and a brown wig styled into a pompadour.  It held some kind of large book in its arms. The other mannequin was dressed in what had once been bright blue pants and a black polo shirt, but the clothes had been slashed and ripped almost to the point of being unrecognizable.

Blaine walked a little to the left to see the second figure better and saw that its face had been gouged away until only holes were left where the features once were.

After a glance up and down the street to look for strange vehicles or people, Blaine hurried back to the house and called the police. Kurt demanded an explanation, wanting to know what he had seen, but Blaine told him only that two mannequins were sitting against the fence.  He didn’t tell him that they had obviously been dressed like Kurt and himself.

The police arrived within the half hour and Blaine went out to meet them at the strange tableau blocking the driveway, leaving Kurt in the house, steaming at being left behind. The police examined the dummies and determined that there was nothing dangerous — no bomb or weapons.  They photographed everything before boxing it up and taking it down to the police station for fingerprinting.

Blaine returned to the house after an hour to find Kurt livid at being kept in the dark. He sat him down and showed him the photos, updating him on the preliminary findings. He could see the fear flare in Kurt’s eyes as he looked at the photo of the disfigured face. He was about to say something reassuring when Kurt drew himself up and flipped to the next photo, determined to look through them all. There wasn’t much they could tell from pictures, though, so they had lunch and waited for a call from the police with more information.

The call came around three o’clock. The fingerprinting had been completed and the police wanted them to come down to take a look at the items recovered to see if they could offer any insights. Bill and Steve arrived soon after to take them to the station.

First, they read a letter that had been found in the pocket of the “Kurt” figure. It was full of somewhat graphic threats to Kurt and everyone around him if he didn’t break up with Blaine. For three and a half pages it railed about how Blaine wasn’t right for him, often using details from Kurt’s past to explain why they weren’t a good match. Kurt’s mother’s death, tea parties with his dad, the names of jocks that had picked on him in school, songs he had sung in competitions, descriptions of clothes he had worn in school, mentions of the places he had lived in New York, coffee houses and theaters that had been his favorite haunts — the letter contained them all. Kurt half-heartedly joked that it was like a stalker’s version of _This is Your Life_ , but even he didn’t find his comment very funny.

Next they were shown a scrapbook, which was the book Blaine had seen. The album was filled with magazine clippings, photos, and printed copies of web pages, all containing pictures or mentions of Kurt and Blaine. In each one Blaine had been cut out, scratched away, or rendered unidentifiable with a black marker. The police had fingerprinted the pages, but hadn’t found any usable prints.

Finally, they were taken to a room where the mannequins were laid out on a table. They looked down at the crude caricatures of themselves and Blaine could feel the clamminess of Kurt’s hand in his.

“I have that exact same scarf,” Kurt noted absently as he looked over the dummies.

Blaine turned a concerned eye to the item in question. “You still have yours, right?”

“I-I think so, I mean, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve worn it, but I’m – I’m sure mine is hanging in my closet,” Kurt stammered uncertainly.

Blaine reached out towards the scarf, looking questioningly at the officer and getting the go ahead before picking it up. He lifted the material to his nose and sniffed it tentatively. “It smells like you.”

“The stalker knows what kind of cologne I wear too?”

“No, I mean it smells like you. Your cologne, the skin cream you use, and well, you.  It smells like your clothes do when you take them off.”

Kurt looked uneasy and was silent while Blaine wrapped things up with the detective. They made a promise to check and see if Kurt still had his scarf as soon as they got home and walked out to the car with Steve watching over them protectively.

After about ten minutes of riding in silence Kurt finally had to say something. “I guess I got lulled into a false sense of security. It’s been almost two months, so why are they back now? How did they find out where I live? And why all of the sudden anger towards you?”

Blaine gave him a quick glance as he negotiated a corner. “The publicity from the nominations could explain why there was a new letter now. I guess we were lucky that your address was secret for so long. We’ll have to beef up security if you don’t want to move.” Kurt shook his head. “And as for me, I guess I’ve been more visible in your life recently. I’m probably seen as competition for your affections.”

“I guess, it’s just…it’s almost like they know it’s not an act anymore, that we’re together for real now.” Kurt drummed his fingers on the door handle. “Have we been acting different in public?”

They left the city behind and began climbing up into the hills. Blaine could see Kurt relax a little once they were out of traffic. “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen anything on the blogs and you know they’d be the first ones to pick up on something. Could the stalker be someone you knew in school? They know so much about you.”

“Except for my friends I haven’t seen anyone from school for years. Why would they start up this obsession now?”

“Because now is when you got famous. What about the people who used to give you a hard time?”

“The entire junior class voted me prom queen, Blaine. It’d be quicker to name the people who didn’t give me a hard time,” Kurt snapped before sighing and reaching over to rub his hand on Blaine’s knee in apology. “Maybe they got a hold of an old yearbook. That would explain a lot of it.”

“What about the New York stuff? The tea parties? How would they know about that?”

“There’re no secrets in the age of Facebook. I’m sure whoever is writing these letters just spent a few weeks doing research on the web.” He chewed on his thumbnail for a second before realizing what he was doing. “Damn it, I just want to leave all of that stuff behind. Why does everyone get to move on from high school except me? I bet Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s stalker doesn’t dredge up old childhood crap.”

They arrived home and Kurt went immediately to find his scarf. After a thorough search of all the closets, the laundry room, and the cushions of all of the chairs and sofas (which Kurt said was a waste of time, because did Blaine think he was raised in a barn?) there was no sign of it. When a call to the studio resulted in a PA confirming that it wasn’t in his trailer there either, Kurt reluctantly admitted that the scarf in the box had probably been his.

They reconstructed his schedule on the last day he had worn it and determined that it could have been left behind at or stolen from the studio, their local coffee shop, Bev’s office, Lynn’s office, and the restaurant where they had eaten dinner, which was basically no help at all. They called the detective with the details and Kurt went into the bathroom to wash his hands with the hottest water he could stand, saying he was anxious to remove any traces of the box and its contents from his skin.


	18. Chapter 18

_Celebrity Feud Alert! Award season is going to be much more exciting than usual this year due to the growing feud between Best Supporting Actor nominees Don Hampton and Kurt Hummel. The no-holds barred conservative and openly gay actor are considered the front-runners in their category and tension between them is already building. Reports are that Hampton has asked ceremony organizers to seat him as far away from Hummel as possible, while Hummel’s team has supposedly requested that the two of them not be included in any pre-award events together. All eyes are going to be on the red carpets to see what happens when these two polar-opposites meet. If hostilities erupt, whose side will you be on? — HollywoodHeat, December 20th, 2018._

=^..^=

Coming back to Ohio was not something Kurt liked to do. His family was there and he loved seeing them, but every moment spent there was a struggle to hold on to the self-confident (for the most part), happy man he had become. Ohio was exhausting.

He had hopes that this year might be different, though. He and Blaine were visiting for five days over Christmas and even though Blaine had met his family before, this time it was as his boyfriend and the thought sent a thrill down Kurt’s spine. He had been very glad that Bev was out of the country when the dummies were left at his gate, because there was no way she would have let him go to Lima if she’d been in town. He’d had a hard enough time convincing Blaine that they should still go. It was only when it was discovered that the intruder had somehow disabled the security camera on the gate that Blaine decided it was best to get out of town for a while.

Thankfully, with Lynn’s help they had already put out some misinformation the week before to lead people into believing that he and Blaine were going to a warm, tropical local for the holidays. They had then set things up to get a ride to Fort Wayne, Indiana on a private jet belonging to one of Lynn’s other clients who was heading to the Midwest.

While they were gone, crews would be hard at work adding new video cameras to the entire fence line at the house and beefing up other security features.

It was just over an hour’s drive from Fort Wayne to Lima, so once they landed they rented a car big enough to carry all of their luggage and hit the road. As they reached the highway, Kurt decided to bring up a matter he had been avoiding up until that point. “Do your parents still live around here? Would you want to visit them while we’re in Lima?”

“I-I don’t know where they live, honestly. And even if I did I…I think it’s best that we just leave it alone.”

“Got it. Leaving it alone.” Kurt smiled to show that he understood and reached over to turn on the radio, wondering if he would be able to find anything except country music.

Finally, they reached Burt and Carole’s house, nestled at the end of a cul-de-sac on a quiet street on the outskirts of Lima. Kurt had told his family about the change in his relationship with Blaine over Skype (he thought his dad’s sarcastic “Well, color me shocked!” had been a little unnecessary) and they had seemed happy, but he still let out a sigh of relief when they greeted Blaine as a member of the family as soon as they walked in the door. Blaine held out his hand to Burt for a handshake, but found himself pulled in for a hug and a hearty man-pat on the back instead (Kurt may have snickered at the shocked expression on Blaine’s face, but he would never tell him that). While Blaine was being engulfed in a similar embrace from Carole, Burt grabbed Kurt’s suitcase, which had been dropped on the porch, and carried it up to Kurt’s old room. He returned and carried Blaine’s up to the same room.  He didn’t say a word, but Kurt took that as the ultimate acceptance of their relationship.

The rest of the day was a leisurely one spent at home. They caught up with Burt and Carole over dinner and then spent the rest of the night making and decorating sugar cookies to take to their neighbors on Christmas. Blaine commandeered the bow shaped cookie cutter and proceeded to painstakingly frost each cookie to look like different patterned bow ties. Kurt went the more elaborate route and made an army of gingerbread men and women that he designed different ensembles for using piped icing, candies, and colored sugar.

Just as Kurt was finishing up a batch of fashionable asymmetrical sweater wearing gingerbread men, Blaine reached over and stole a Red Hot candy off of one of them. Blaine apologized when Kurt protested and he vowed to return the pilfered treat. He popped the candy into his mouth and reached over the counter to pull Kurt towards him. When Kurt finally pulled back from the kiss he had the stolen Red Hot on his tongue.

“Mm…somehow I don’t think I should put this back on the cookie,” he said as the taste of cinnamon burst on his tongue. In retaliation he reached out with his piping bag and squeezed out a blob of frosting onto the tip of Blaine’s nose. The cookie making quickly devolved into a frosting war after that, with Carole and Burt wisely retreating to the living room to avoid being collateral damage.

=^..^=

Kurt showed Blaine around Lima the next day. He avoided the high school, but they saw Burt’s shop and the mall and the thrift stores that had helped Kurt dress like a fashionista even when he was younger. After seeing the limited sights the town had to offer, they finally stopped at the Lima Bean, where they got coffee and sat by the window watching the last minute shoppers bustle past.

Blaine had been checking his cell phone all day and finally, after he looked at it one too many times, Kurt called him on it. “Are you expecting an important call or something? Is it about the stalker?” he asked worriedly.

“No, no! Nothing like that, I —“ Blaine’s explanation was cut short by the buzzing of his phone. He looked down and saw the message that he’d been waiting for. “Come on, I have a surprise for you.”

They got back in the car and Blaine used the GPS on his phone to find the spot he was looking for. Kurt’s expression was less than pleased when they pulled up in front of McKinley High School

“Blaine, I really don’t want to be here,” he bit out. “There’s a reason this wasn’t on the tour.”

“Don’t worry, we’re not going in. I just…” Blaine looked down the street. “There it is. Come on.”

He tugged Kurt out of the car and they moved to stand in front of it just as a vehicle with a strange contraption on the top drove by. As it passed, Blaine swept Kurt into his arms, dipped him, and kissed him passionately for at least a minute. When he let him up, Kurt was breathless and obviously confused. “And to what do I owe that pleasure?”

Blaine grinned and stuffed his hands into his pockets to warm them up, wishing that he had worn his gloves. “That was the Google mapping truck.”

Kurt tilted his head questioningly. “The…?”

“The Street View maps on Google? They send this car around to get the images and it captures everything in the area. There’s a blog I found that posts messages from people tracking it around the world and I learned it was going to be in Lima while we were here, so I’ve been waiting for it to get to the high school.”

Kurt still looked confused. “Why?”

“Because now you have another permanent legacy here as part of the map of McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio. Or at least until they re-do the images. Every person who views this map will see you. And you’re French kissing your wonderful boyfriend.”

The only movement from Kurt was the little visible puffs of breath that escaped his mouth. Blaine thought at first that Kurt hadn’t liked his surprise, but then his face broke out into the biggest grin ever. “I think that might be the best thing I’ve ever heard.” He wrapped his arms around Blaine’s neck and pounced on him for another kiss and Blaine forgot all about his cold hands.

=^..^=

The three days before Christmas went quickly and Blaine could well and truly say he’d had a great time in Lima. He and Kurt had spent most of their time with Kurt’s family, but took one night as a ‘date’ night and went to a movie at the local theater. After the movie, they met a few of Kurt’s old friends from school for drinks, where Blaine finally got to meet the famous Mercedes that Kurt talked about so much and also met Mike and Tina Chang, who were visiting from Chicago with their new baby. They spent a great evening together and Blaine heard a lot of stories about Kurt that had him nearly falling off of his chair with laughter.

Kurt retaliated by telling everyone about Cooper and, to Blaine’s horror, the entire table serenaded him with a perfectly harmonized version of the dreaded credit rating jingle. Blaine groaned playfully and feigned covering his ears while declaring his intention of getting revenge on each and every one of them.

The talk of Cooper reminded him that he had left a pre-Christmas voice mail for his brother before they left L.A., but his call hadn’t yet been returned. That was okay, though; Cooper wasn’t great about remembering holidays, but he always called. Eventually.

As they were leaving the restaurant, Blaine heard Kurt’s name called from a table they had just passed. Blaine protectively stepped between Kurt and the voice, his eyes searching for who had spoken.

“Jacob, it’s…nice to see you. How have you been?” Kurt asked, his tone more resigned than anything, which made Blaine relax a little.

“I’m most excellent,” the man with unfortunately frizzy hair and a nasally voice smirked as he eyed Kurt and Blaine. “Congratulations on everything that’s been happening for you. Who would have guessed that one of McKinley’s most slushied would end up nominated for a Golden Globe?”

Blaine put his hand on Kurt’s back, offering his silent support, but Kurt had the situation covered. He looked down his nose at the man and smiled coldly. “Yes, well it was good to see you, but we have a plans we’re late for, so if you’ll excuse us.”

They began to walk away when Jacob called out to them again. “Did the stuff I sent help your ghost writer?”

Kurt’s back stiffened beneath Blaine’s hand as he turned back. “Ghost writer?”

Jacob looked delighted that had stopped Kurt from leaving. “Yeah, he contacted me about, I don’t know, about three weeks ago?  I sent all the info I had. Not sure why he couldn’t just get it all from you, though.”

“What are you talking about?” Kurt asked as he exchanged a worried glance with Blaine.

Jacob looked nervous as he seemed to realize that Kurt wasn’t happy with what he was saying. “I’m the owner and managing editor of a cutting-edge entertainment blog that has done a piece or two on you and I got an email earlier this month from a guy saying he was a ghost writer that you’d hired to write your auto-biography. He wanted me to send whatever info I had on your life here in Lima — school photos, yearbooks, local stories, you know.”

Blaine stepped closer and stared down at him. “Who was this guy? Did you talk to him? Do you still have the email?”

“Uhh…his name was John, I think. John Smith.” Jacob cowered back against the wall, intimidated by Blaine’s glare. “I never spoke with him, just emailed.  I still have the address, but I sent him mail last week to see if he wanted to be my inside source on…I-I mean, to see if I could be of any more help and my mail bounced back as undeliverable.”

“I need that address now.” Blaine’s tone had Jacob fumbling for this phone to pull up his email. He opened the mail in question and Blaine snatched the phone from his hands and read it through quickly. He forwarded it to a generically named account he kept for work purposes and returned the phone.

“Jacob, I don’t have a ghost writer, so if you get contacted again I’d appreciate it if you didn’t share any more information on me,” Kurt smiled, though Blaine could see that the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Of course, of course. Us McKinley alums have to stick together, after all.  Speaking of which, I’d love to get an exclusive interview for my blog.”

Kurt stared him down for a second. “If you don’t post anything about the ghost writer or this conversation then…I’ll give you an interview in February. Deal?”

Jacob looked torn, but finally agreed.

“Well,” Kurt said as they got to the car, “he ended up exactly how I would have expected. I think he was voted ‘most likely to get sued for libel or served with a restraining order’ in school.”

Blaine maneuvered the car out onto the road and drove towards the Hummel house. “Yes, charming guy. I guess we now know how the stalker got all that information on your childhood. I can’t believe he fell for that ghost writer crap.  John Smith. Please.”

“ _I_ can’t believe my stalker is so unoriginal. Is it wrong that I’m kind of disappointed?  I was hoping for a higher quality of obsessed fan.”

Blaine checked the rearview mirror to make sure no one was following them. “I’ll send the stalker’s email address to the police and have them see what they can find, but I’m betting it’s a dead end and won’t help us identify who he, or she, is.”

“Right.” The bitterness in Kurt’s voice was heavy. “We wouldn’t want that lovely surprise to be ruined quite yet.”

Blaine reached over and grabbed Kurt’s hand, bringing it up to his mouth for a kiss before dropping their joined hands down to his thigh.  He was anxious to get to Burt’s house so that he could send the email and get the investigation started. He wanted to keep this away from Kurt as much as possible, though, and not ruin what was left of their visit with his parents. Who knows, maybe the stalker had left a clue behind with the email address. Maybe Santa would bring them the stalker’s identity for Christmas.

=^..^=

Kurt awoke Christmas morning to the sound of Finn thundering down the stairs and the scent of cinnamon rolls baking. Finn lived in Dayton, where he was a P.E. teacher at a middle school, but since he lived alone and was in between girlfriends he had come up to Lima to stay with the family for the a few days.

Everyone gathered for a leisurely breakfast, lingering over rolls and coffee and pretending not to notice Finn’s impatience. Finally, they retired to the living room and Finn played Santa, handing out the presents. Carole and Burt opened their gifts to each other first and then Finn and Kurt opened theirs from their parents. Blaine then unwrapped his first package to find a _Word A Day_ calendar from Finn.

“Dude, I got one of these last year and thought it was really cool,” Finn told him excitedly as Blaine flipped through the calendar. “Who knew there were so many words? Reading it made me feel really smart and…stuff.”

“Eloquent as ever, Finn,” Kurt smirked. “I don’t know why you thought you needed to expand your vocabulary.”

Blaine thanked Finn nicely for the gift and promised to use it every day. Next, he opened his present from Burt and Carole, which was a luxurious sweater and coordinating bow tie (picked out by Kurt, of course). “Thank you so much. I’ll be the best dressed guy in L.A. Well, second best at least,” he said as he draped the bow tie around his neck.

Blaine and Kurt had gotten together to give Finn a day at a football camp where he would train and play with real NFL players. Finn gave Blaine a hearty slap on the back that nearly knocked him over, smiling at him as if he thought that the idea couldn’t possibly have come from Kurt (Kurt was a little offended that he would think that, even if it _was_ true).

Kurt gave his parents plane tickets to London and information on a tour of Europe he had booked for them for the following May and Blaine followed it up (amongst the crying and protests of “It’s too much”) with guide books for the countries they would be visiting.

Once the excitement had died down, Blaine nudged a small box in Kurt’s direction. “You’re a hard man to buy for, Kurt Hummel. I knew I’d be setting myself up for failure if I attempted to pick out clothes for you, but I thought this might be a safe.

Kurt tore the wrapping paper from the box and opened it to find a crystal encrusted brooch in the shape of a phoenix that he had eyed in a recent issue of _Vogue_. “Blaine, I love it!”

“Maybe you can wear it to the concert.”

“What concert?” Kurt asked, searching his brain for a forgotten event on his schedule.

“This one.” Blaine handed him an envelope, which Kurt snatched up and opened quickly.

Kurt took one look at the envelope’s contents and thought he might pass out. “Liza Minnelli? You got me tickets to a Liza Minnelli concert?”

“It’s in New York on Valentine’s Day. I know you probably had something else in mind for that night, but I just couldn’t resist.”

Suddenly Kurt was in Blaine’s arms, kissing him for all he was worth, not caring for a moment that this was the first time any of his family had seen him kiss someone.

Kurt pulled back and put his hands on Blaine’s shoulders. “There is nothing in the entire world that you could have gotten me that would be more perfect. I can’t believe you did this. Of course, now I’m rethinking my gift to you. It’s just something silly that I thought of, I’m sure you don’t even want them, but I found them on eBay and…”

Kurt pushed a box towards Blaine and watched as he pulled the paper off, holding his breath as Blaine pulled back the cardboard flaps and reached inside to push the carefully arranged tissue paper aside. Blaine looked into the box and…stopped.

Blaine sat staring into the box for several seconds, no expression on his face. Kurt squirmed a little, sure that his choice had been a misfire. He bit his lip and began to brainstorm replacement gifts that might reach the epic level of Miss Liza Minnelli.

“Kurt,” the broken sound of Blaine’s voice quickly refocused Kurt’s attention, “Are these…”

“I think I got all the right ones. I snuck in and looked at your scrapbook, so I was able to match the ones in your old room up to the ones on eBay. Do you have any idea how many different antique toy robots there are out there? Hundreds. Maybe thousands.”

Tears began to glisten in Blaine’s eyes, making them seem too big for his face. “They’re exactly like the ones my grandfather gave me. I can’t believe you remembered…”

Kurt leaned sideways and gave Blaine a gentle kiss on the lips. They stared at each other for a minute before the sound the Burt clearing his throat broke the spell.

After the presents were all unwrapped they refreshed their coffees and got cozy in the living room to watch _A Christmas Story_ on TV (even though they had it on DVD there was just something special about watching it as it was broadcast, commercials and all). During the ads, Burt regaled them with anecdotes about how Christmas used to be before it got so commercialized. Kurt rolled his eyes at the stories and traded long-suffering looks with Finn, as they had heard all the stories before.

He was so thankful his dad was looking so healthy and happy. He looked around the room at Carole, who was wearing the sweater Burt had given her and at Finn, who was eating his third cinnamon roll, and felt a strong sense of contentment. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Blaine glance across the room to where his phone lay silently on the side-table. He looked sadly at the phone for a second before turning back to watch Finn make it an even number of sweets. His longing look as he watched Kurt’s family was heartbreaking to see, but Kurt was determined to make this the best Christmas he had ever had.

=^..^=

Blaine couldn’t sleep, so he slipped out of bed and padded down to the living room. He switched on the Christmas lights and sat down on the floor in front of tree, leaning back against a chair. This was how he had always imagined the perfect home to be like — rooms filled with people who loved each other and weren’t afraid to show it, with music and banter filling the air.

His childhood home had never been warm and loving like Kurt’s, but it had been normal to him and he had accepted it. Then he’d been sent to military school and everything had changed.  He’d started at the school in March of his freshman year and hadn’t thought very much of it when his parents had suggested that he not come home for spring break, that he should spend the time catching up in his classes. The real surprise had come in June, when the school administrator called Blaine into his office and told him that his parents had enrolled him in summer school and that he would be staying at the school year-round. He had called his father immediately to find out why and had been told that his parents hoped that staying at school would give Blaine the discipline and stability he needed.

It was one of the last real conversations they’d ever had.

Blaine stayed on campus or with friends for the rest of his high school years.  He knew that his being gay had added to the distance between his parents and himself, but the problem in their relationship had existed long before.  They had always been cold and distant, more similar to reptiles who laid eggs then left them to fend for themselves than mammals who nurtured and cared for their young.

While many people in the same situation might have acted out and taken their anger out on the world, Blaine had wisely chosen the opposite path. He’d gotten straight As, joined all the right clubs, played all the expected sports, and took up boxing and martial arts to work through his anger. He’d spent holidays and vacations with friends and was always the perfect, helpful houseguest — fun, charming, unobtrusive, and never, ever outstaying his welcome.

The next time he had seen his parents had been the day before his high school graduation. They’d arrived unannounced and taken him out to lunch, where they had gave him a check with more zeros on it than he could believe and he had immediately known it was meant as a goodbye. They hadn’t stayed for the graduation ceremony and he hadn’t seen them since.

Blaine knew the time would come when he would need to say goodbye to Kurt and that the time was probably sooner rather than later. Kurt was going to be a huge star with a big career ahead of him and didn’t need someone like Blaine dragging him down. He would go on to find love with someone just as talented and successful as himself and Blaine would be happy for him, but just for now he wanted to bask in the warmth of Kurt’s smile when he was so happy that his teeth showed and his eyes crinkled, the feel of his soft skin right where his neck and shoulder met, and the hitch in his breath when Blaine touched his lips to that sensitive spot behind his left ear. He would appreciate what he had now and not think about the future. He’d enjoy pretending he was part of a family.

He heard footsteps on the stairs and moments later Kurt appeared in the entryway, the blanket wrapped around him covering everything but his bare toes.

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” Kurt whispered softly. “I was worried.”

“Sorry. I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake you too.” Blaine spread his legs wide and Kurt settled down between them, snuggling back against Blaine’s chest and pulling the blanket over both of them. They sat quietly for a while, just enjoying the closeness and the sparkling lights. Blaine bent his head forward and rested his chin on Kurt’s shoulder and tightened his arms. “Thank you for bringing me here. Merry Christmas, Kurt.”

Kurt swiveled his head and placed a lingering kiss on Blaine’s cheek. “Merry Christmas.”


	19. Chapter 19

Despite previous reports that a sunny beach vacation was on Santa’s list, Kurt Hummel and boyfriend Blaine Anderson were actually spotted in Kurt’s hometown of Lima, Ohio over the Christmas holidays. The two were seen canoodling all over town and dining with several unidentified people at a local restaurant. Once the holidays were over, the pair jetted off to New York City, where Kurt is scheduled to finish filming on his latest movie.  This is one of Kurt’s first trips back to the city since he left Broadway for Hollywood over a year ago. No word on how long the delicious duo plans on staying in the Big Apple, so autograph seekers had better strike while the iron is hot — HollywoodGossipMachine, January 4th, 2019

=^..^=

Kurt and Blaine said their goodbyes to Kurt’s family two days after Christmas and made the short journey to New York. They were staying there because of Kurt’s location shooting, but he was more excited about visiting his old haunts and taking advantage of the spectacular after-Christmas sales. Steve met them at the airport and they were whisked to their hotel before they knew it.

When they got to their room, Blaine called the police back in Hollywood to get an update on their investigation. Unfortunately, they had made no progress, since all of the clothing and scrapbooking materials were generic items available in stores all over the country. The email address had also been a dead end, as it had been set-up years before with dummy information. Kurt was upset by the lack of progress, but if the stalker thought that Kurt Hummel was going to be brought down by some anonymous hate then they really didn’t know him.

Kurt unpacked and changed his clothes and declared that it was time to hit 5th Avenue. He shopped ‘til he almost dropped then he and Blaine met Rachel at her apartment for dinner. It was Rachel’s first time meeting Blaine and Kurt was definitely apprehensive. Despite having mellowed with age, Rachel was still somewhat of an acquired taste and he wanted his best girlfriend and his boyfriend to get along. Luckily, he didn’t have anything to worry about. Rachel loved the flowers and wine that Blaine brought her and within minutes they were talking like old friends.

As dinner was winding down, Kurt noticed a strain on Rachel’s face that wasn’t normally there. He knew that her career hadn’t exactly turned out how she had pictured it and he wondered if something had happened at work to upset her. “Rachel, how are things going at the theater?”

“Good. Excellent.” Rachel smiled the fake smile that she always used to hide a broken heart.

Kurt caught Blaine’s eye and silently asked him to give them some time alone. Blaine nodded and began clearing the table as he announced his intentions to do the dishes. Rachel protested, but Blaine insisted and disappeared into the kitchen. Kurt turned to Rachel as soon as the swinging doors closed behind him. “Okay, now tell me the truth.”

Rachel clasped her hands and stared down at the tabletop. “So, it turns out that incredible drive, undisputable talent, and a degree from one the country’s top theatrical arts colleges don’t get you as far as they used to. I guess Cassandra July was right about my dancing not being good enough. No one will cast me in a dancing role, so that cuts down my opportunities considerably. Being in the ensemble of _Mean Girls, The Musical_ has been educational and a…tolerable post-graduate experience — and I’m sure if given just a little more time I’d at least be named understudy to one of the featured roles, since I’m clearly more talented than the girls they have now. I mean, the second female lead must be the director’s girlfriend or something. There really isn’t any other explanation for the shocking displays of mediocrity that — but I digress.” Rachel took a deep breath and sipped her tea with honey and lemon before continuing. “They just announced the show is closing in February.”

Kurt made a noise of sympathy and reached forward to grasp her hand.

“My dads are still paying part of my rent, since ensemble work doesn’t pay much and if I learned nothing else from freshman year in college it’s that I’m not great roommate material.” Her wry smile was self-deprecating and sad. “I wanted to do this all on my own, but it’s been over a year and a half and....” She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin slightly. “So this is me, swallowing my pride. Your old _Defiance_ director is casting a new musical and so far I’ve been completely unsuccessful in getting an audition. I-I was hoping you might call him and put in a good word for me? It doesn’t have to be for the lead or even a featured part, I just —“

“Since when does Rachel Berry not go out for the lead role?” he interrupted. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Really?” she cried, tears already sliding down her face.

“Rachel, no one believes in you more than me, not even you.”

Rachel smiled through her tears. “If I say you make me want to be your boyfriend will Blaine be jealous? You can explain that it’s just a reprise of an old, but still true, sentiment.” She clutched Kurt’s hand tighter. “Kurt, you will never know what your friendship has meant to me. You may not believe me, but seeing you succeed has made me happier than I would be even if it was me. Well…almost.  Come here, I need a hug.”

=^..^=

New Year’s Eve arrived cold and clear and Kurt stood in front of the mirror in his hotel room and smoothed his hands down the front of his black Armani suit, liking the way it hugged every line of his body perfectly. He and Blaine had been invited to a high class party being thrown by a big-time director and they were just on the edge of being fashionably late. He was still making final adjustments to his cuffs as he walked into the sitting room and asked Blaine for his help fastening a particularly stubborn cufflink. Blaine was dressed in yet another well-tailored suit approved by Kurt (dark gray Ralph Lauren this time) and Kurt thought for just a moment about tearing the suit off of him and forgetting about the party.

Duty called, however, so they climbed into the waiting limo and were whisked off to the provided address. The penthouse that was their destination was on the 76th floor of the New York by Frank Gehry building and was probably one of the most expensive apartments in the entire city. Kurt gasped when the door opened and he first glimpsed the floor-to-ceiling windows and honey-colored hardwood floors. He wondered how the people who lived there ever got any work done. If it was his home he probably would never be able to tear his eyes away from the view over the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge. The huge apartment was ultra-modern and had an open-space design that made it flow effortlessly. Kurt was in instant architectural love.

He found himself actually having fun at a party for once. The crowd was small enough that he didn’t feel overwhelmed and big enough that several people he knew from New York and L.A. were in attendance. It was New Year’s Eve in New York and he was with the best looking man in the room. Things were good.

As per usual, Kurt gravitated to the edge of the crowd, putting a wall at his back. He waved away a waiter who approached with a glass of champagne and instead ordered a glass of ginger ale. Blaine doubled the order and came to stand beside him. “Kurt, do you mind if I ask why you hardly ever drink alcohol? I don’t mean to pry, but…”

“I don’t mind. No secret addiction or anything. I just had a bad experience the first time I drank and I never really developed a taste for it. That coupled with the fear that I’ll make a complete fool out of myself if I’m drunk. I like being in control and the thought of not knowing what I might do or say?” He gave an exaggerated shudder. “Qué horror!”

“Well, well, well, Kurt Hummel.” Both men turned to find Thomas Dayton, who had stared in the summer’s biggest action movie, standing beside them.

“Thomas, it’s nice to see you again,” Kurt smiled and motioned towards Blaine. “I’d like to introduce you to—“

“I saw you in _People_ magazine and they certainly got it right didn’t they? You definitely have my vote for sexiest new _comer_ ,” Thomas talked over him, not even sparing Blaine a glance. “What I would have given to be at that photo shoot.” He ran his eyes down Kurt’s body slowly as if trying to see through his clothes. “I had dreams about those pants for days. Look, my car’s waiting, so I’ve got to go, but I’ll be in L.A. at the Chateau Marmont for the next two months if you want to drop by and give me a private viewing.” He sent a wink in Kurt’s direction and was gone.

Kurt looked after him, shell-shocked with his mouth open and hand still extended mid-gesture in Blaine’s direction.

Blaine stared after Thomas in confusion. “Isn’t he fighting a paternity suit right now?”

Kurt dropped his hand, wishing for a moment that he actually drank. “Fake as a 20 dollar Chanel bag. It’s just his rep’s latest attempt to throw people off the scent. He’d rather be thought of as a pig and dead-beat dad than gay. I can’t believe he hit on me. As if I’d ever date someone who lies like that. I... Oh. I think I may have lost the moral high ground here. I’m no different am I?”

“I think a fake boyfriend is somewhat different than feigning a paternity suit to stay in the closet. You had a good reason to lie.”

“Debatable. He may be lying in order to get better roles, but I was doing it in order to increase my chances of getting award nominations. Kettle, meet pot.” Kurt stared into his ginger ale, swirling it a bit against the sides of the crystal glass. “Oh well, water, bridge and all that. “

Blaine bumped their shoulders together. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. Come on, you know a lot of the people here. Amuse me with tales of their secrets and scandals.”

“Judging and gossip _are_ two of my favorite pastimes. Okay, let’s see who we’ve got…” Kurt scoured the room for someone with a juicy story. “Oh, oh! You know Jackson Piper? He made that drama last year where he walked out of the ocean in those tiny briefs and women were almost fainting in the theaters over the size of his package.” He cupped his hand to his mouth and whispered, “Those briefs? Stuffed.”

“What?” Blaine whipped his head around to find the man in question. “No! I saw that movie. Are you sure?”

Kurt lifted one hand discreetly and raised and wiggled his pinky. “I have it on good authority that the studio should be sued for false advertising.”

Blaine was unable to contain his laughter, which caused several people to look over in their direction. “How did you hear that?”

“Stop laughing, you’ll give us away. It pays to make friends with the hair and make-up people. They always have the best gossip. Okay, who’s next? Off to the right…Desmond Bentley. Hottest romantic lead in Hollywood right now. Bad breath —I mean deadly. His co-stars have to hold their breath during kissing scenes. Oh, and straight ahead is Gordon Pile, most famous for his role as the gruff, but loveable grandpa on that insipid multi-generational sitcom on NBC? I heard he’s an exhibitionist who likes to ‘accidently’ be caught naked by the crew. His manager has had to quietly settle several sexual harassment lawsuits.”

Blaine nodded in sympathy. “We had a client like that once at the agency. He’d just drop trou and let it all hang out. No one really wanted to work for him, so he was charged double and a bonus was offered to anyone who’d volunteer. I know of at least two people who financed ultra-luxurious vacations for their families by being willing to be flashed on a semi-regular basis.”

Kurt wove his arm through Blaine’s and led him off deeper into the room. “Did you ever…?”

“No way,” Blaine shuddered. “He was like 80 and really unattractive. Unlike the others, I actually like seeing dick, so being exposed to that might have scarred me forever or at least messed with my sex life.”

Kurt nearly doubled over in laughter and clasped a hand to his mouth to contain the sound. “Poor baby. I can definitely see how that wouldn’t be worth any amount of money.” He clasped Blaine’s arm again and nudged him with his hip. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the Grand Dame of the silver screen who swears like a sailor and will probably pinch your ass black and blue.”

Kurt introduced Blaine to the old broad and to many others as well. He was amused at how many people asked Blaine if he was an actor. Though he knew Blaine was a little chagrined at the questions, he couldn’t blame them for assuming — Blaine did have that je ne sais quoi that many actors had. It was an understandable mistake.

He continued to be amused when, after he returned from a trip to the restroom, he found Blaine pasted up against a wall, trapped there by a predatory woman wearing a designer dress that probably cost more than most people’s cars. She was standing very close to Blaine, looking deep into his eyes and sucking (in what she probably thought was a sensual manner) on a maraschino cherry, holding the stem in one hand, her drink in the other.

Blaine was smiling and most people wouldn’t have thought anything was amiss, but Kurt saw that his eyes kept darting around the room as if looking for someone, anyone who would help him. Kurt swallowed a laugh and headed in their direction, ready to come to the rescue. As he approached he could hear the woman talking in a low, sultry voice. “The indoor pool is simply divine. It’s just down on the 7th floor. We could pop down there and no one would even miss us.”

Blaine smile faltered for a second and he pressed further back against the wall. “Uh…I-I can’t, I don’t have swim trunks with me.”

“Oh, I don’t think either of us needs a suit, do you?”

Kurt smirked at the predictability of the woman’s attempted seduction. Was she really so clueless? Didn’t any of these people read Eonline? And of course Blaine, with his pathological need to please everyone, wasn’t helping himself out very much by refusing to just walk away. Time for Kurt to step in and play knight in shining armor.

“Blaine, honey, have you seen the bathroom? The bathtub is right up against the windows! It gave me all sorts of naughty thoughts. We should really look into getting an apartment in this building.” He threaded his arms through Blaine’s and pulled him close for a dirty kiss with lots of tongue before turning to the vamp in socialite’s clothing. “Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting.”

The woman looked between him and Blaine dumbly before the light suddenly dawned. “You two…?” They nodded in confirmation. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t know. I mean, him,” she nodded to Kurt, “I get, but you? I never would have guessed. Well, I’d better get back to the party. My husband’s probably at least five martinis in by now and I’d better slow him down if I don’t want another scene.” She took a few steps before turning back. “If you guys decide to try out the tub give me a call. Participant or spectator, I’m up for either.”

They watched her walk away, speechless for oh, so many reasons.

And then, Kurt stopped being amused. They had made their way back to the main party when he spotted the producer who had denied him the audition for _A Tale of Two Cities_. The man kept glancing in their direction and Kurt held his breath as he said something to his companion and headed towards them. “Oh my god. Benjamin Prentiss is coming over here,” he whispered to Blaine. “How’s my hair?”

There was no time for a response before Mr. Prentiss reached them and held his hand out to shake Blaine’s hand. “Blaine Anderson, isn’t it? Benjamin Prentiss. I’m sure you’ve heard of me. I’ve seen you on TV. Interviews and the like with Hummel here. I know you’ve said you aren’t an actor, but I see something in you and I’m interested. I’m casting a movie and I think you’d be great in it. Call my assistant and we can set up a meeting.” He held out a business card.

Kurt expected Blaine to laugh the request off, as he had all the other times people had thought he was in the business, but he actually looked flattered and a little intrigued at the offer. He reached out and took the offered card. Benjamin clapped him on the shoulder with a grin and strode away.

Kurt watched him go, too stunned to move. He guessed everyone was wrong; there evidently _were_ gays that Prentiss thought could play straight. That list just didn’t happen to include Kurt. Suddenly none of it was funny and all Kurt could see was a room full of people who preferred Blaine over him. Old insecurities raised their heads and Kurt took a step back, withdrawing from the situation and from Blaine.

=^..^=

A chill had descended upon their evening and Blaine didn’t know why. They’d been at the party for a few hours and it seemed like Kurt was having a good time, but suddenly he closed himself off. He stopped talking with the guests and retreated to a corner near the windows to look out over the river and watch bursts of fireworks erupt throughout the city. When Blaine attempted to pull him back into the party Kurt declared that he was bored and wanted to leave, so they said their goodbyes, gathered their coats, and took the waiting town car back to their hotel.

Once back in their suite the silence continued and Blaine tentatively asked Kurt what was wrong.

“Nothing.”

“Come on, Kurt. I can tell you’re upset about something. Talk to me.”

“It’s probably best that we don’t talk about it tonight,” Kurt replied as he reached up to loosen his tie.

“Why? What’s going on? Did someone do something to upset you at the party? Just tell me so I can help.”

“Fine. You want to talk about this now? Okay.” Kurt tossed his tie down on a chair and crossed his arms tightly. “I don’t really appreciate having my boyfriend flirting with other people in my presence. How about that?”

“Flirt...? What are you talking about?” Blaine started to laugh, but stopped when he saw that Kurt was serious.

“I don’t know, Blaine,” Kurt yelled, his words cutting through the air like knives. “Did you flirt with so many people tonight that you can’t remember them all?”

“Why are you yelling at me? I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Do you mean the lady who suggested the threesome in the bathtub, because if you do then you and I have very different ideas on what flirting is.” Kurt mulish expression provided him with the answer he needed. “This is ridiculous. Are you seriously mad that a girl came on to me? A _girl_ , Kurt.”

“Her being a girl isn’t the point. Everything is just so easy for you, isn’t it? You don’t have to fight to fit in, to be noticed. Everyone is drawn to you. They just want to bask for a moment in the brilliant light that is Blaine Anderson. Gay, straight, it doesn’t matter. They take one look at you and know you’re exactly what they’re looking for, just like that woman tonight. And look at how many people meet you and assume you’re an actor and a straight one at that. You don't have to fight against preconceptions like I do. No one ever makes assumptions about you like they do about me. You’re not even an actor and that producer tonight asked you to audition for him within seconds of meeting you. I’ve been nominated for a SAG award and a Golden Globe and he still likes you better.”

Blaine tried to keep calm, but he could feel his temper rise as Kurt attacked him for things that weren’t his fault. “I think you’re just angry because for once the spotlight wasn’t completely on you. It’s only been seven months since your first movie came out and here you are nominated for Best Supporting Actor, so don’t act like you aren’t successful beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. You just can’t stand it when everyone isn’t paying attention to you, complimenting you.”

“Maybe the gossip columns are right. Maybe you are just using me to start an acting career.”

Someone had reached into Blaine’s body and pulled his still beating heart from his chest. It was the only explanation for the sharp flare of pain he felt, followed by a numbness that rose from the empty cavity beneath his ribs and spread out until it had filled each limb. He knew Kurt was angry and that an angry Kurt could be clumsy and careless with the feelings of others, but this was different. Didn’t he know that all of those people he was talking about were just reacting to Blaine’s exterior and that they didn’t care for one second about who he was on the inside? That they, like everyone else, didn’t care about _him_?

And that he could think, even for one second, that Blaine was using him? That he could believe it enough to put it out there into the world? It cut Blaine to the quick.

Kurt stood before him gaping, as even he himself couldn’t believe what he had just said. Indecision flared in his eyes and he seemed about to apologize when he glanced a bit to the left and saw where Blaine had thrown his wallet down on the table. His gaze hardened when he saw the producer’s business card sticking out a bit from the leather and he spun on his expensive Prada heel and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.


	20. Chapter 20

_Blind Item of the Day_

_Sartorial Sydney may have mended his finger snapping ways, but it looks like he has already gotten himself into trouble in another area. It has been months since Sydney was spotted outside the company of Dapper Dan, who is such a constant presence in his life that Syd’s friends are worried about the nature of their relationship. It seems that said friends are planning on staging an intervention to try and pry Sydney away from Dan’s controlling hands. Will Sydney escape his evil clutches? Are his friends over-reacting and seeing Machiavellian intent where only true love lies? Only time will tell. — ReelToReal, January 10th, 2019_

=^..^=

Kurt lay flat on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Rachel would be so proud of him. Not of the irrational fight he had just picked with Blaine or the horrible things he had said, since even she had mostly matured past such displays, but his storm out had been picture perfect and she would have approved.

Needing to talk to someone who was possibly even more selfish and self-centered than he was, Kurt pulled out his phone and dialed Rachel’s number. He reached over and turned on the bedside radio to drown out the sound of his voice, since Blaine was just down the hallway in the sitting room of their hotel suite.

It took several rings, but Rachel finally answered.  He could hear the sounds of a party in the background and was reminded that it was still before midnight on New Year’s Eve. He halting explained about the fight and then waited while Rachel found a quieter spot so that they could talk.

The competing sounds from Rachel’s end dropped away and suddenly Kurt could hear her clearly. “Kurt, what are you really upset about? You’re not usually this insecure, so what’s really going on?”

Kurt sank into the high-backed chair by the window and played with the curtain cord as he looked through his reflection out onto the lights of the city. “I don’t know where it all came from. Things have been great. Better than great, actually. I was just standing there, watching Blaine hold that card and this film played in my mind, you know? I just saw how different my life would be if I were more like him and I just snapped.”

“Do you think his life has been perfect? That he hasn’t had to deal with discrimination or hate?” Rachel asked softly.

“No, of course not. He’s had it rough. Rougher than me in some respects. In high school he… he had some problems. But the world just sees him differently now and —“

“So you resent him for how other people see him? For something that’s totally out of his control?

Kurt gave a broken laugh. “You make it sound so irrational and stupid.”

“Kurt, you are talented at so many things, but I’m not sure that keeping a level head while under emotional pressure is one of them,” she pointed out. “Go talk to him. Make this right before it turns into something you can’t overcome.”

Kurt felt his love for Rachel expand within his chest. “When did you become so grown-up and emotionally mature?”

“Oh, it’s definitely a work in progress. My next step is to try and use some of my own advice. It’s hard, though. Being a self-possessed, confident woman can be exhausting.” Kurt could hear the smile in her voice through the phone line.

They said their goodbyes and Kurt tip-toed to the door, his heart beating a mile-a-minute in his chest. He slipped into the sitting room to find Blaine standing in the dark by the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking out onto the city.

“I’m sorry.” Blaine’s back tensed at the sound of Kurt’s voice, but he didn’t turn around. “I’m horrible and irrational and none of that was your fault.” Kurt came closer and stood next to him, looking down onto the taxis crowding the street below. “I hate how I let my past color the way I deal with things, but — and I know it was hard for you too for different reasons and I don’t want to belittle your experiences in any way or say that I had it rougher — but the reason I acted the way I did tonight is because of my hang-ups and… I’m used to fighting for everything I have. Nothing has ever come easy. Even now, I don’t trust it, not really. Sometimes I’m sure that at any moment I’m going to wake up and find that I’m late for my shift as an usher at an off-Broadway theater and still struggling to find my big break.”

Kurt leaned his forehead against the window pane, the coldness seeping into his skin and sending little sparks of almost pain along his nerves. “Do you know who that guy with the business card was tonight? He’s the producer that wouldn’t let me audition because ‘gays can’t play straight.’ But he wanted you and he obviously knows you’re with me, so…”

Words escaped him and Kurt paused, not sure of how to communicate what he was trying to say without sounding like the most self-centered jerk on the planet. “I know that no matter how successful I am there will be opportunities I won’t get because of who I am and what people think my limitations are before they even meet me. I know it. But seeing how accepting people are of you, how easy it would be for you if you wanted to be an actor…it stings. And it makes me wonder why someone as perfect as you would want to be with someone like me. I thought of all the people at all the parties and all the articles and it was all just too much and… I just latched onto the first thing that I could think of and used it as an excuse to attack you and I have no excuse. You have no idea how sorry I am.”

Blaine had been silent and still as Kurt spoke, but he finally turned his head towards Kurt and his voice drifted out of the darkness. “I wish you’d come and talked to me about this instead of letting it build up.” He turned fully towards Kurt and sank one shoulder against the window. “If you think for one second that I’m perfect then you need to get your eyes and your head examined. I’m just as screwed up as you are Kurt and it really hurts that you can’t see that. I don’t want a career like yours and the fact that all of those people are so quick to notice me for a second before they’re distracted by the next shiny object? It’s the story of my life. They don’t really see me or want to know me. Who I am inside doesn’t matter to them and it never will.”

He sighed and reached up to rub at his temples as if he had a headache. “I’ll admit that my head was turned for a second by the attention and the flattery tonight, but I never gave it any serious thought and even if I had I would never use you to get ahead. And that you could think I would, even for a second…” his voice cracked and he stopped to clear his throat lightly. “I don’t want to be famous and I don’t care what everyone else thinks of me. Kurt… I’m not going to change who I am, just like I’d never expect you to change.  This is me and I’m trying really hard to be proud of it and I just want you to be proud of me too.”

Kurt gasped and grabbed Blaine’s hand, holding it to his heart. “I am! Oh my god, I am. I am _so_ proud of you and the fact that I can call you my boyfriend is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are amazing and I can’t fault anyone else for just seeing what I see, even if they only ever scratch the surface.”

A loud sound from outside the window startled them and they looked out to see fireworks exploding. It was midnight and the New Year had started without them even realizing. Kurt leaned forward and kissed Blaine tentatively. “Start the year as you mean to end it, right?” he said uncertainly.

Blaine moved in for another kiss and when they broke apart Kurt looped his arm around Blaine’s waist and pulled him closer as they turned to watch the colors bursting in the sky. It wasn’t how either one of them had been expecting the night to end, but at least they were still together.

Kurt didn’t know how long they stood there, but soon his eyes began to droop and he had to fight to keep his concentration. Blaine noticed him fading and suggested that they turn in for the evening. He showered while Kurt put away their evening finery and padded out of the bathroom wearing a soft pair of pajamas that hugged every line of his body.  Kurt sighed with pleasure that he was privileged enough to be able to see such a sight. He kissed Blaine softly on his way into the bathroom and took his own turn in the shower and afterwards slipped on the luxurious robe provided by the hotel.

He stared at himself in the mirror and thought about the evening that he had originally planned. Everything had been thrown off by his horrible stupidity, but he could still salvage the most important part. After delaying as much as he could without seeming suspicious, he gathered his courage and walked out into the bedroom.

Blaine was sitting on the bed looking through the breakfast room service menu, looking adorable with his loose curls and black-rimmed glasses. Kurt moved beside him and gently slid the paper from his hands. He set it down on the bedside table and moved in a bit closer before slowly removing Blaine’s glasses and placing them on the table also. He cupped Blaine’s face in his hands and ran his eyes lovingly over his features before drawing him close and hugging him tightly, Blaine’s face nuzzled against his chest. Blaine pulled him close in return and they stayed like that for a minute, just enjoying the quiet and the closeness.

Kurt felt Blaine lean back slightly and then a tug on his arm coaxed him down onto the bed until he was flat on his back. He looked up at Blaine’s face and smiled at the desire he saw there, thankful that he hadn’t chased it away forever. He lifted his head to capture Blaine’s lips and sighed deeply when his mouth parted and their tongues intertwined.

Kissing Blaine always made Kurt feel light-headed. He sometimes forgot to breathe once Blaine’s tongue touched his and when combined with the furious pumping of his heart and the blood rushing to a point far south, it led to a serious oxygen deficiency that left him gasping. It took just a few minutes this time for him to reach the point where he had to pull his mouth away in order to take a breath. He pressed his lips against Blaine’s jaw and worked his way around to his ear, where he was unable to resist nibbling on the lobe. Blaine arched his neck against the onslaught of Kurt’s mouth, allowing him to do whatever he wanted. 

Kurt ran his hands up under Blaine’s shirt, the skin of his back smooth beneath the pads of his fingers.  He spread his legs a little so that Blaine nestled in between them and his robe slipped open to reveal that he had nothing on underneath. Blaine’s eyes flared at the discovery and Kurt reached down to grab his ass, digging his fingers into the dense muscle there.

Blaine responded by rutting against him slowly, his hips moving in a slow, maddening circle, the soft material of his pajama bottoms sliding deliciously against Kurt’s cock. Kurt brought their lips together again and the kisses this time were wet and dirty, with tongues everywhere and teeth scraping. The echoes of heavy breathing filled the room.

Kurt rolled them over until he was on top and let his lips linger before standing up and removing his robe. He took a moment to enjoy the way Blaine’s eyes darkened at the sight of his naked body. Having Blaine look at him like that made him feel more desired and confident than he had in his entire life and the feeling was addictive.

Blaine stood also and grabbed the edge of the comforter to strip it off the bed (Kurt had trained him well). He took Kurt’s robe from him and spread it out over the sheets before shucking his pajamas, leaving them in a little pile by the side of the bed.  He scooted up to sit against the headboard and crooked a finger to beckon Kurt to join him. Kurt knee walked across the mattress until he reached Blaine’s side and then threw a leg over his lap until he was straddling him. They groaned simultaneously as their cocks rubbed together and Kurt threw his arms around Blaine’s shoulders as he ground into him.

He and Blaine had been together for a month and a half. Their sex life was amazing and oh, so satisfying, but so far it hadn’t included any actual…penetration. Kurt had actually only tried anal sex once and the experience had been so awkward and unsatisfying that he hadn’t been eager to repeat it. He and Blaine had talked about it and Blaine had been perfectly fine with waiting, or never even doing it at all if that was what Kurt wanted.

In all honesty, Kurt had never thought he’d want to do it again, but then again he never thought he’d find someone like Blaine, never thought he’d be with someone where the emotional closeness meant as much as the physical pleasure. He thought he was ready now and had been waiting for a special occasion to let Blaine know.

He knew that if he kept moving against Blaine for too much longer that they’d end up finishing that way, so took a deep breath and slipped into the role of confident sexual being. He took Blaine’s hand in his and moved it slowly down his body until it was on his ass with his fingers resting lightly against Kurt’s hole. Blaine’s eyebrows arched up as he sent Kurt a shocked, questioning look.

Kurt smiled seductively (he hoped) and purred, “My shower was very _thorough_ , if you get my meaning.”

Blaine swallowed hard and Kurt felt his fingers twitch. “Kurt, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to try and make anything up to me —“

“Shhh…” Kurt pressed a finger to Blaine’s mouth, running the tip along the seam. “That’s not what this is about, I swear.”

Blaine’s head jerked in a haphazard nod and Kurt twisted at the waist to reach into the nightstand, from which he retrieved some lube, a condom, and a hand towel. He could feel Blaine’s heart beating fast against his chest as he took in the items. “So, I guess you’ve been planning this, huh?” Blaine choked out as his fingers tightened on Kurt’s ass.

“I wanted to make it a special evening. New beginnings and all that. ” Kurt hid his face in Blaine’s hair, not wanting him to see that he was still a little apprehensive about taking this last step. It wasn’t that he didn’t _want_ to do it, because he did, he _so_ did. It was just that this was going to be him allowing himself to be vulnerable, like a hedgehog willingly rolling over and baring its soft underbelly. It was against his nature.

He pushed those thoughts aside as he uncapped the bottle and squeezed some of the lube out onto Blaine’s hand. He dropped the bottle down beside them and used one of his hands to spread the lube around, enjoying the slickness of their hands as they moved over each other. Blaine, who still showed a great appreciation for Kurt’s hands, sucked in a deep breath and let his head fall forward to touch Kurt’s chest.

Once Kurt had finished coating Blaine’s fingers, he started to grab for the towel to wipe his hand off, but paused and tilted his head to consider his next move before reaching back and wiping it over his entrance instead. Blaine growled at the sight of Kurt touching himself and pulled him down with his lube free hand for a hungry kiss.

Bending forward for the kiss caused Kurt’s hand to slip away, but it was immediately replaced by Blaine’s. His fingertips ghosted over Kurt’s hole, swirling around the edges and teasing him. Just when Kurt began to move restlessly against the too light touch there was an increased pressure and he felt the tip of one finger slip inside. He tensed in shock, but immediately forced himself to relax, not wanting to discourage Blaine from proceeding further. The muscles of Kurt’s pucker spasmed involuntarily, pulling Blaine’s finger in deeper. He began a slow in-and-out movement that felt foreign to Kurt at first, but soon heat began spreading outward from the spot to take over his whole body. He was just getting used to the sensation when suddenly it was gone.

He let out a cry of protest at the loss, but before he could say anything Blaine tilted him off his lap and with a quiet “lie down” coaxed him into lying out on his side. Kurt laid his head on the pillow and simply looked up at him, waiting for his next move. Blaine moved away from the headboard and came to sit next to Kurt’s stomach. He reached out and ran a hand down Kurt’s side and up over his back before pressing on his shoulder until he was settled flat out on his stomach.

Kurt’s heart beat faster as he wiggled around to get comfortable and he swiveled his head to the right so that he could see Blaine bending towards him. “The angle’s better like this. I don’t want to hurt you,” Blaine murmured, the hot air of his breath tickling Kurt’s neck and sending goosebumps down his spine.

Blaine gently slipped a pillow beneath Kurt’s hips. Kurt blushed at the thought of how he must look in that position, with his hips in the air as if he was presenting to Blaine (which he guessed he actually was, in a way), so he buried his face against the cold pillow in an effort to both hide and to cool his flaming cheeks.

“You are so beautiful like this,” Blaine whispered into the quiet room. A hand settled on Kurt’s neck and massaged the tense muscles there for a second before sweeping down his back lightly. He squirmed as the fingers touched the ticklish skin of his ribs and he heard a chuckle above him. The hand moved lower, over the rise of his buttocks and down to his thighs, before returning to settle on his ass where it began to knead. Kurt was finding it hard to breathe and since he didn’t want to pass out during such as important moment or suffocate and be plastered all over the gossip sites for death by accidental auto-erotica asphyxiation, he pulled his arms in and lifted himself up on his elbows.

He heard a cap click and jumped as a still slightly cool dollop of lube dripped onto his crack. Blaine chuckled again and spread the lubricant out with his hand. Slowly he slipped his finger back inside and Kurt couldn’t stop his back from arching as his hips rose towards Blaine wantonly.

The stretch came easier this time and soon Blaine was adding a second finger. Kurt’s stomach muscles contracted as Blaine pushed in deeper, but the feeling of ‘too much’ passed quickly and he relaxed into the pleasure that began creeping up on him. The third finger once again took him right up to and then past the limit of what he thought he could take and when Blaine pressed in just the right spot he hugged the pillow to himself and bit the corner as his eyes rolled back in his head.

Kurt moved restlessly against the mattress as his body searched for something…. more. He didn’t know how much time had passed, but however long it was, it had been enough. “Now, oh god, please now,” he moaned around his mouthful of pillow. He felt Blaine kiss him on his right butt cheek as he slowly pulled his fingers out and he followed the kiss up with a light nip. Kurt’s dick ached and strained against the soft material of the robe beneath him. He swiveled his head around to pout at Blaine, his hips moving even more now that there is no stimulation at all.

Blaine’s lips slid up Kurt’s back as he shifted to move behind him. Kurt felt him straddle his legs and his hands came to rest on Kurt’s ass, thumbs circling in identical patterns on each cheek. Kurt felt a bit of nerves bubble up again, but the passion tempered them. Why didn’t Blaine just get on with it already?

He heard the condom wrapper crinkle and he buried his face back in the pillow again. Oh god, oh god, oh god. He absentmindedly decided that he was glad that he wasn’t facing Blaine for this first time. He wasn’t sure if he could have dealt with all the visual stimuli also. Plus, trying to determine what Blaine was doing by sound and touch alone was kind of a turn on. Maybe later they should try a blind-fold and… His mind melted into a pile of goo as he felt Blaine’s cock move along one of his cheeks. It was obvious that Blaine had it in his hand and was rubbing it softly all over Kurt’s skin and Kurt shuddered as he pictured it in his mind. Finally, Blaine brushed his dick against Kurt’s opening and lightly slapped it up and down there a few times. Then Kurt felt a weight against his hole. Blaine crooned some comforting and encouraging sounds, but the words were not registering, as all Kurt could concentrate on was the delicious stretch as Blaine slid inside him just a few inches.

“Oh God,” Blaine cried out as paused his forward momentum. “Talk to me, Kurt. Is this okay?”

“Mmsfsdf.”

“I’m going to take that as a ‘yes’,” Blaine laughed from above him. He paused to let Kurt adjust, his hands stroking Kurt’s hips as he waited. Before long, Kurt relaxed (he hadn’t even realized that he’d tensed up) and moaned into the pillow as the sensation of intrusion morphed into the beginning of pleasure. Blaine must have rightly taken his moan as permission to continue, because he tilted forward until he was laid out against Kurt’s back, his cock sinking deeper inside as he moved, his thighs gripping Kurt tightly. He marveled as Blaine pressed forward until his cock (which was thick and long and why oh why hadn’t they done this before, because Blaine’s cock was made perfectly for this) filled him completely and his balls rested against Kurt’s ass. The feeling of being complete for the first time swept through Kurt and he had to bite his lip to keep from saying it out loud.

Blaine rested on top of him for a minute, kissing his neck and whispering things like “closer, closer” and “God, you are incredible”. He reached out his hands to clasp Kurt’s and pulled them up over their heads, digging them into the mattress as he began to thrust. He stopped every once and while and rotated his hips, making Kurt gasp.

With each thrust, Kurt could feel himself being driven up towards the headboard, so he reached out with his fingertips to push back against the wood. Blaine let go of him and lifted himself up on his hands a bit to get more room to move. His thrusts become longer and harder and Kurt could feel every inch of him as his cock moved smoother and deeper. Little starbursts began to explode in his eyes each time Blaine hit just the right spot inside of him and he decided that the prostate was his new favorite gland.

Blaine seemed to be losing a little bit of control, his thrusts becoming more frantic and sharper. Kurt halfway thought that Blaine might be about to come, when he stopped and gasped for breath as he rested his head between Kurt’s shoulder blades.  After pulling himself back from the edge, Blaine wrapped his hands around Kurt’s waist and pulled him up until they are both on their knees.  He sat back on his legs and Kurt followed him until they were half kneeling, half sitting, with Kurt on Blaine’s lap.

Kurt felt Blaine’s arms wrap around him and his hips began to undulate again, thrusting up into Kurt with a new determination. Kurt gasped as the new angle, combined with the slight curve to the right of Blaine’s cock, increased the friction against the (oh, so perfect) spot inside of him and he couldn’t stop himself from reaching back to tangle his hand in Blaine’s hair. Blaine dipped his head forward and attached himself to Kurt’s neck, sucking the skin deep into his mouth and then worrying it with his tongue. Kurt couldn’t even bring himself to care that he was probably leaving a mark.

The universe shrunk until it consisted of just Kurt’s bedroom. Nothing existed outside of those four walls and the two men inside. The air was winter cool, but the heat between them caused sweat to pour from their bodies as they moved. The only sound was the wet sucking of Blaine’s mouth, Kurt’s mews of pleasure, and the slapping sound of skin upon skin whenever Blaine thrust up. It was paradise.

The heat inside of Kurt continued to build as Blaine retrieved the bottle of lube one-handed and managed to pour some of the contents into his other hand (without breaking rhythm. Kurt would have to congratulate him on that later. If his brain ever worked properly again). He slid the hand down and grasped Kurt’s cock tightly and began to stroke. He pulled firmly again and again from root to head, twisting a bit at the top, which caused all of the muscles in Kurt’s body to tense and shake.

Blaine’s hand and his hips moved in a complementary rhythm, leaving Kurt in a state of constant stimulation. The feeling of Blaine moving deep inside of him, rubbing against his prostate with every thrust, and the friction of his hand quickly sent Kurt hurtling towards the edge. He didn’t want to finish so soon, but he couldn’t hold off any longer. Blaine thrust once more at just the right angle and Kurt cried out, his toes curling and his whole body jerking as he came.

Blaine worked him through it, stroking his dick as it pulsed and continuing his relentless thrusts. As the final tremors passed through him, Kurt lost the strength in his legs and fell forward onto his hands. Blaine took advantage of this new position and began to plunge into him with a new ferocity. A few moments later he was coming deep inside of Kurt, crying out a bit in triumph as he toppled over the cliff.

Kurt felt Blaine lay his cheek on his back as he gasped for breath, his hips still thrusting, but starting to move slower and slower. Kurt dropped his head and let it hang down loosely from between his shoulder blades as he struggled to catch his own breath. After a minute he slowly walked his hands forward and off to the side until they were both lying down next to the now soiled robe. Kurt could feel Blaine slowly softening inside of him and he wondered how long they could stay joined just like that.

“Well, we’ll certainly be doing _that_ again soon,” he announced as the world began to come into focus again. “In fact, remind me again why we haven’t been doing that all along?”

Blaine laughed against his neck. “I think you mentioned something about trying it once and not being that into it?”

Kurt shook his head as he reached up to sweep a damp strand of hair from his eye. “No, that must have been someone else, because _that_? How could I not be into that? It was awe-inspiring, stupendous, phenomenal —“

“You sure know how to stroke a guy’s ego.” Blaine twisted to give Kurt a deep kiss before pulling back, his cock finally slipping free. He kissed away Kurt’s murmur of protest and leaned over the side of the bed to discard the condom. He tossed the robe to the floor and he and Kurt moved back to the center of the mattress, rolling onto their sides to look at each other.

Kurt intertwined his fingers with Blaine’s, studying the contrasts in their skin tones. “That’s not all I know how to stroke.”

Blaine groaned and kissed Kurt on the tip of his nose. “It’s too soon for bad puns. My brain isn’t working fully yet. Wait a few minutes so that I can _rise_ to the occasion.” Kurt snorted into the pillow at his joke. He felt a finger nudging his chin up and he refocused his attention of Blaine’s now serious face. “Kurt, all joking aside, that was…I just…Thank you for trusting me enough to share that with me. You’ll never know how much it means to me.”

Kurt felt warmth spread throughout his body that had nothing to do with the miraculous sex they’d just had. “I trust you with everything,” he stated, meaning it more than anything else in his whole life.

=^..^=

Kurt had to report back to the set on January 2nd. Blaine was uneasy, since all of the scenes were being shot outside and it was notoriously hard to keep the public away from film locations in New York. Fortunately, the production company had been alerted to the threats against Kurt and security had been beefed up, which helped ease his mind considerably. He knew Kurt was trying to not let being so exposed get to him, but Blaine could tell that he was on edge. He jumped at loud noises and stayed close to the trailers when not needed on set. Blaine stuck as close as possible and the extra guards and police protection kept the crowds at bay.

Their time in the city wasn’t all spent working, though. Kurt took Blaine to his favorite restaurants and they took long walks through the neighborhoods that Kurt had grown to love in the years he had spent there.

A week later Kurt had finished all of his scenes and a wrap was called on his part in the movie. The next night Kurt surprised Blaine with tickets to a Broadway show that featured some of his friends and former cast-mates. After the show they went backstage, Steve following close behind them. Blaine had never been behind the scenes at a professional theater before and was amazed at how smoothly the back stage area was running. Kurt laughed at his observation and told him that appearances were deceiving.

They hung around with Kurt’s friends for a while and Kurt signed some autographs and then they slipped out onto the cold street, thankful that the people waiting by the stage door were long gone. As they walked past the box office, Kurt paused and trailed his fingers along a poster that was lit up by glowing bulb lights.

“Ah, you miss it,” Blaine sympathized.

Kurt looked at the poster with a wistful smile and tucked his hand back into his pocket. “It’s just…When I was a kid and pictured myself as a big star it was always on Broadway. I never really saw myself in the movies. I guess stardom isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I just wish I could perform and still be able to go to the grocery store without worrying about paparazzi.”

“Understandable.”

“Did I tell you that my agent doesn’t want me to do any more musicals?” Kurt sighed as passing headlights lit up his face. “Says I don’t want to risk being typecast. But I’m not sure I can stand performing without singing, you know?”

Blaine definitely could understand that. Singing was such a part of Kurt that he couldn’t imagine him being happy with just the odd show tune in the shower. “What’re you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. Risk being pigeon-holed as the ‘musical guy’, I guess. We’ll see. Okay, enough of that.” Kurt visibly shook himself and grabbed Blaine’s hand in his. “Have I ever told you that I know a place that sells the best cheesecake in New York? I can see you don’t believe me, but eating is believing. Follow me.”

=^..^=

Blaine unlocked the hotel room door and Kurt tumbled through it, stopping to perform a particularly complicated spin from the show they’d just seen. He side-stepped into the bedroom and snapped on the lights, gasping when he saw the thousands of rose petals strewn all over the bed and the floor. “Blaine! They’re the same kind as the ones you gave me after the Golden Globe nominations. I can’t believe you did this!” he exclaimed as he felt Blaine come up behind him.

“I didn’t.”

Before Kurt could say anything, Blaine pushed him back towards the main door. With a warning look that told him to stay where he was, Blaine slipped quietly back into the bedroom and opened the closet door. Finding nothing there, he looked behind the curtains and out on the balcony before disappearing into the bathroom.  He reappeared a few seconds later, shaking his head reassuringly at Kurt, who could see him from his position in the hallway. Blaine checked out the sitting room next and, after checking behind the curtains there as well, picked up the phone and dialed the front desk.

He spoke with the night manager, who confirmed that they had no record of anyone on staff decorating their room. As Blaine waited to be transferred to the security manager, Kurt wandered into the bedroom. He noticed a wrinkle in the bedding over one pillow and looked over his shoulder towards Blaine before walking over to flip the edge of the comforter down.

There, lying on his pillow, was an envelope addressed to him in a handwriting he knew all too well at this point.

He slipped his gloves back on and picked up the envelope. It wasn’t sealed, so he opened it and removed the letter from inside. It talked about how much the writer had enjoyed seeing Kurt in New York, how handsome and at ease he seemed now that he was back ‘home.’ It was full of compliments and loving declarations and didn’t say a word about Blaine. All-in-all, it couldn’t have been more different from the last letter in L.A.

Just as he was finishing the letter the paper was pulled from his hands and he looked up to find Blaine glaring at him angrily. Kurt flushed, but jutted his jaw out defiantly. He knew he shouldn’t have touched the letter, but this was his life, damn it, and he was so sick and tired of not having any control.

Blaine skimmed the letter, his brow creasing in confusion at the change in tone. He slipped it carefully back in the envelope and set it on the bed as he grasped Kurt’s elbow and pulled him out into the other room.

There was a knock on the door a minute later and Blaine peered through the peep hole before opening the door and admitting the hotel manager and another man, who turned out to be head of security. They looked in the bedroom and the security manager made a call to the police as they all left to make their way to the security office.

As they waited for the police to arrive they checked the hotel’s computer. Someone had entered the room at ten o’clock that night using a housekeeper’s keycard, so they called up the security video starting 15 minutes before then. At nine fifty-five a figure entered the elevator, riding it to the top floor where Kurt and Blaine were staying.  The manager confirmed that it wasn’t a registered guest, but the shapeless long coat and hood made the person impossible to identify beyond that.

Kurt sat at the desk, staring at the figure on the screen, as Blaine made arrangements to have their belongings packed up as soon as the police were finished. He then made a few phone calls and within minutes they were on their way to the airport, headed back to L.A.

=^..^=

Blaine had thought that Kurt might not want to return to his little house in the Hollywood Hills after what had happened there, but his offer of finding them another place to stay was met with a definite rejection. He was determined that he wasn’t going to let the stalker drive him away from his house like he had driven them out of New York.

All Kurt asked was that he be given a run-down of the security upgrades that had been made while they were in New York. Blaine showed him the new video surveillance that recorded every inch of the gate and fence, and explained how the cameras overlapped so that disabling one camera wouldn’t prevent an intruder from being seen.  He walked him through the other changes as well and when they were done Kurt smiled gratefully and went to his room to take a nap, since he hadn’t been able to sleep well on the plane due to bad dreams (he wondered if he’d ever be able to look at roses the same way again).

He awoke from his nap to find Blaine waiting with cake and a queued up Emma Stone movie marathon. Late that night, after finishing up _Crazy Stupid Love_ (which had to be one of the best movies _ever_ because of the adorableness of Emma Stone and the lust inspiring beauty of Ryan Goslings abs) they each retreated to their own bathrooms to get ready for bed.

Kurt sighed as the warmth of the shower beat down on him and slowly washed away the tension that still hung onto his shoulders and back. They were just days away from the Golden Globe awards and that alone was enough to put him on edge, but combine that with a re-invigorated stalker who seemed to have multiple personalities? He felt like he wanted to crawl into bed and not come out for a month.

He stood beneath the water for several minutes, watching his skin turn bright pink from the heat and the air become hazy with steam. Finally, he reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, toweling off and wrapping himself up in his fluffiest robe. He performed his nightly skin care routine and brushed his teeth before stepping out into his room to find Blaine on the bed, reading through several pages he had pulled off of his _Word A Day_ calendar. “I still can’t believe Finn got you that for Christmas,” he snickered as he walked towards the bed.

“Hey, it’s interesting,” Blaine protested. “I’m trying to better myself here.”

Kurt sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his damp hair. “Well, I happen to think you can’t improve on perfection, but I guess you’re welcome to try.”

“Hmm… Mellifluous, tessellated, susurration —“

Kurt cut him off suddenly by turning and kissing him hard. He didn’t know what all of those words meant, but they sounded really sensual and he found it surprisingly arousing to watch Blaine’s lips form the unfamiliar syllables.

Blaine smiled as Kurt’s lips left his for a second. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that?”

“I don't know why, but you saying those big words kind of turns me on.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow. “Sesquipedalian,” he said pointedly.

A shiver ran through Kurt before a thought occurred to him and collapsed onto the bed laughing.

“What?” Blaine asked as he leaned over Kurt, balanced with an arm of either side of his body.

“It's like that scene in _A fish Called Wanda_ where Kevin Kline pretends to know Italian because it really gets Jamie Leigh Curtis hot, but all he’s really saying is names of random food and stuff. I have no idea what you’re saying, but keep saying it, baby.”

“Callipygian… perspicacious… alexithymia… penumbra…” Blaine punctuated each word with a searing kiss until finally Kurt wound his arms around his neck and silenced him.

=^..^=

It was the Friday before the Golden Globes and Kurt had still not decided on what he was going to wear. The tailor was coming by in an hour for a final fitting and he needed to have made a choice by then.

The Golden Globes were certainly formal, but not as rigid as the Oscars, so he wanted something a little unusual, but still 100 percent classy and fitting for the occasion. There was a reason men’s formal fashions weren’t on the tip of everyone’s tongues the day after award shows, though. There wasn’t much you could do with a suit or tux to make it your own and the fashion blogs tended to really tear people apart who tried to be too individualistic. It was a fine line he had to walk.

He had narrowed his choices down to three options and the suits were hung up on a rack in his bedroom as he paced in front on them, flipping through the photos of him modeling each look. “I don’t see how I can possibly choose just one of them. I mean, this one is Gucci, but Tom Ford made a custom suit for me. Custom! I swear that is the best part of this whole awards season right here.” Blaine glanced up skeptically from the computer he had been working on for the past hour. “Don't look at me like that. Think how you’d feel if Brooks Brothers made a line of cardigans just for you.”

Blaine raised his eyes to the ceiling and smiled dreamily. “Mmm… cardigans.”

Kurt laughed and turned back to the rack. He took a deep breath before selecting the gorgeous dark navy blue, slim-cut Tom Ford. The waistcoat was also blue, but had subtle silver embroidery that shimmered and caught the light. The accompanying silver and blue patterned tie was perfect and once he finished accessorizing with the brooch Blaine had gotten him for Christmas and an intricate pair of cuff-links he knew it would make a stunning statement on the red carpet.

He nodded his head decisively and made the choice official by picking up the other two suits and putting them away in his closet to be used for future events. He placed the navy suit back on the rack to await the tailor and collapsed down onto his oversized chair, exhausted from making such an important decision so early in the day.

Blaine wiggled in next to him and reached over to massage his shoulder. “Are you going to write an acceptance speech?”

Kurt leaned into the massage and closed his eyes, coming dangerously close to falling asleep. “I don’t think so.  If I do win, I want to be spontaneous and heartfelt. Growing up I remember being so bored when people would read their speeches off of cards. All of the greatest speech moments seemed to be spur of the moment.”

“I think all the worst moments were too.” Kurt turned around to glare at him. “Sorry, I’m sure you’ll be great. I have the utmost confidence.”

=^..^=

Time seemed to move faster than usual and before Kurt knew it, Sunday had arrived and he and Blaine were in the limo on the way to the ceremony.

The Golden Globes security team had been notified about the stalker and Steve was dressed in a suit (and looked extremely uncomfortable) so that he could follow them down the carpet. Lynn wasn’t happy, as the added security would probably result in some uncomfortable questions, but the ceremony was too public and the crowds too big to risk trying to keep a low profile.

Kurt walked the red carpet with confidence. He knew he looked good and having Blaine on his arm at such an event was a dream come true. He gave interview and after interview and stopped to get his head-to-toe look documented by the fashion cameras. At every opportunity he made sure to include Blaine, who looked devastatingly handsome in his simple black suit.

The first half of the ceremony was devoted to the television awards, so Kurt was able to sit back and relax a little. He laughed with the rest of the audience through the host’s short opening monologue and was thrilled when an actress he knew won Best Actress in a Comedy and when his favorite show won Best Drama.

Then the television awards were finished and the movie portion of the ceremony began. He was shocked to find that his category was one of the first ones to be announced. He gripped Blaine’s hand tightly as his name was announced and tried to look calm when a camera came within two feet of his face to record his reaction as the presenters named the winner.

Unfortunately, it was Don Hampton’s name that was called out into the auditorium. Kurt smiled and clapped politely along with the rest of the audience, masking his disappointment from the camera that still filmed him. Blaine squeezed his hand and smiled sympathetically. Kurt smiled back and shrugged to show that he was okay.

Half an hour later, Kurt presented an award with Dakota Fanning. He was happy that the audience was going to see his suit on stage. If he couldn’t win, then this was the next best thing. It was far too striking an ensemble to be relegated to a few mid-chest close-ups from the seats. He looked out in the audience and grinned at Blaine, who beamed up at him from the third row.

The rest of the evening moved on fast-forward and soon the host was saying goodnight to the television audience and the auditorium began to empty out. They had already decided to forego any of the after parties, so it wasn’t long before they were back in the limo and speeding towards home.

Kurt leaned back against the soft leather seats and contemplated his first major awards show.

“Disappointed?” Blaine inquired softly as he ran this thumb back-and-forth across Kurt’s knee.

Kurt shook his head. “I actually didn’t think I was going to win, so not really. Being nominated was enough.” Blaine stared him down. “Okay, it truly _is_ a lie when people say that. I really wanted to win, alright?”

Blaine pressed his lips against his temple and laid his head on Kurt’s shoulder. “Next time. You’ll get ‘em next time.”


	21. Chapter 21

_Kurt Hummel may have not come away with the Globe on Sunday, but he was certainly best dressed in our book. Sharp and oh-so-sexy in a Tom Ford blue suit that fit him to perfection, Kurt put every other man on the carpet to shame (with the possible exception of Blaine Anderson, his equally yummy bf). Best of all, his eye-catching pin, which suddenly made all of the other suits on the carpet look unfinished and boring, was a gift from Blaine for Christmas. Swoon. Oscar nominations are tomorrow, so we will know soon enough if we have yet another opportunity to see this stunner all decked out in his formal wear.  The Oscars warrant a tux, right? — HollywoodStyleMachine, January 14th, 2019_

=^..^=

The rest of January was kind of a whirlwind.

Though Kurt’s Oscar nomination was kind of a foregone conclusion after his SAG and Golden Globe nominations, his heart still stopped when the phone rang and it didn’t start again until Bev confirmed that he was in the running for Best Supporting Actor and that his song from the movie had also been nominated.

Blaine had another flower bouquet waiting for him (no roses this time) and he spent the day floating from interview to interview with an obnoxious grin on his face. In bed that night, sated from a monumental round of congratulatory sex, Kurt lay splayed out like a starfish with Blaine curled against his side. Blaine bent a leg up over him and began circling his belly button with one finger. “You realize that for the rest of your life you will at least be referred to as ‘Academy Award nominee Kurt Hummel’, don’t you?”

Kurt tried not to squirm, but he wasn’t quite successful. Damn that man for knowing all of his ticklish spots. “I never for a second thought that it’d be like this. At least not outside of my wildest dreams. I’m just a kid from Lima, Ohio. How in the world did this happen?”

Blaine granted him some mercy and abandoned his navel in favor of rubbing his chest. “Because sometimes good things come to those who actually deserve them. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.”

Kurt knew that if he tried to speak he would embarrass himself by blubbering like Tina Cohen-Chang trying to sing a love song, so he just rolled over the kissed Blaine instead. He hoped that though no sound passed through his lips, they might still be able to communicate everything that he was trying to say.

=^..^=

Kurt’s audition for the X-Men movie was just a week later. He had all of his sides memorized and told Blaine that he was as prepared as he possibly could be.  He was confident in his physical ability to do the role, thanks to Blaine’s help, and knew the timing was perfect, since he was now ‘Academy Award nominee Kurt Hummel.’ If he didn’t get the part it wouldn’t be because he was unprepared.

They didn’t want to bring Kurt’s personal life into the audition by having Blaine accompany him into the production office (especially after some recent articles that had made it sound like Blaine was somehow exerting some undue influence over him), so it was decided that Blaine would wait in the car while Bev went in with him.

Blaine passed the time by calling the police for yet another update on the stalker case and doing some more investigation himself online.  He had found a Twitter account that kept sending messages about Kurt that used some of the same language as in the stalker and he wanted to take a closer look.

A few hours later Kurt emerged from the office with a huge grin on his face. He slid into the backseat beside Blaine and began excitedly describing the audition. He had met with the producers and the director of the film and a few of the actors who had already been cast. He talked with them about his thoughts on the character and how he might portray him, performed some scenes, and then showed off his physicality with some work with the stunt coordinator. He wasn’t sure what their decision might be, but he thought the audition had gone better than he had ever hoped.

Kurt chattered on and on about the details of the movie and the production schedule.  “It’ll film on location in Tokyo for a month, then London for 3 weeks starting in April. London, Blaine. London! Do you know all the things there are to see in London? Of course you do, you lived there for a few months, didn’t you? You’ll have to show me around. I could probably spend years there and still not see everything…”

He kept talking, but Blaine tuned him out a little. Kurt seemed to imply that he thought Blaine would be coming with him to London, but Blaine had his doubts. He knew that even if the stalker case wasn’t resolved, Bev wasn’t going to want to employ a 24/7 bodyguard indefinitely. And if it _was_ resolved? He shied away from that thought and tried to concentrate on what Kurt was saying, making sure to smile and nod as if he wasn’t waiting for his world to fall down around him.

=^..^=

The day of the Screen Actors Guild Awards arrived and Kurt was trying hard to keep a handle on his excitement. He kept telling himself not to get his hopes too high; after all, he hadn’t won the Golden Globe.

The hairstylist had just left and Kurt was slipping on his shoes when he heard Blaine call from the other room. He took a quick detour to the bathroom to give his hair one last burst of hairspray and then hurried down the hall. Blaine was standing in front of the mirror in his room, glaring at the bow tie around his neck.

“I can’t get this thing straight.  Can you help?”

Kurt slipped his fingers into the knot of the tie and pulled the ends free. “I thought you’d decided on the other shirt and the regular long tie,” he said as he pulled the ends of the material even and began tying it again.

“I changed my mind,” Blaine responded absently as he watched Kurt work. “Bow ties remind me of you and I thought it might bring good luck.”

Blaine seemed unaware of how utterly adorable he was, so Kurt bit his lip and continued the task at hand. They would never get to the red carpet on time if he did what he wanted to do right then. He blinked rapidly to chase away the warning pressure behind his eyes. Red eyes didn’t photograph well and if there were going to be tears tonight they would be after the winner was announced.

He and Blaine passed the time in the limo by guessing who would be the best and worst dressed based solely on their Golden Globe gowns. The line of cars waiting to stop at the end of the red carpet was long and Kurt resorted to turning his fashion eye towards Steve to entertain himself. He caught the “help me” look that Steve shot Blaine and pouted about how no one understood his genius. Blaine kissed away the pout just as the car stopped and the door opened.

They were slowly making their way down the red carpet when a clump of publicists and assistants parted and Kurt saw Giles mugging for the cameras.  The odious man had thankfully been missing from the Golden Globes, but _Defiance_ had been nominated for the Best Ensemble SAG award and unfortunately that ensemble included Giles.

He knew the exact moment that Giles spotted him. He had nowhere to go however, so he gave a wide smile is response to Giles’ slimy one and patiently posed for some photos with his heinous former co-star.

“Congrats on the Henry Homemaker,” Giles said spitefully, while trying to keep a smile of his face for the cameras.

Kurt couldn’t even begin to guess what bile Giles was trying to spew now. “What _are_ you talking about?”

“Your little man candy over there. You must have him on quite the leash. The gossip columns make it seem like it’s the other way around, but they obviously don't know you. If anyone is the boss in that relationship it's you. I don't blame you for keeping him chained to your side, though. I'd be afraid to let him out of my sight too, given how many better looking and more talented men there are in this town. If he knew he had so many options he’d probably be already gone by now.” Giles clapped Kurt on the back as if he had just said something nice and strode over to the next pack of photographers.

Kurt watched their expressions as Giles walked up and had to swallow a grin when it seemed as if none of them recognized him.

It took an hour, but finally he and Blaine made their way inside the ballroom and found their table. They sat down to eat and Kurt had an opportunity to catch up with the other _Defiance_ actors that he hadn’t seen in a while.

Before he knew it, his category was being called. And as if that excitement wasn’t enough, he nearly fell out of his chair when he realized that David Tennant, the tenth Doctor himself, was one of the presenters. Blaine, who was well aware of Kurt’s obsession with the actor, grabbed his hand and mouthed an overly-exaggerated “Oh my god” with his face turned away from the watching camera.

The nominees were read and Kurt held his breath as David broke the seal on the envelope.

“And the winner is…Kurt Hummel.”

Kurt heard his name called and knew what he was supposed to do next, but there seemed to be a disconnect between his brain and his body, for he was unable to move. He just sat in shock, staring up at the stage. He felt Blaine’s lips press against his cheek and his hand on his arm prodding him to move. Then his body seemed to be operating on autopilot as he lurched to his feet and walked up the stairs to the microphone, where David handed him his statue and the envelope that held his name.

Kurt hefted the statue in his hands and stepped up to the microphone, looking out over the applauding audience. “Oh my God, I just met David Tennant. I had such a crush on him in high school.” He turned to David who was standing off to the side of the stage. “You have no idea how close you just came to a Halle Berry/Adrian Brody moment.” David laughed and rushed up to Kurt and gave him a big kiss on the cheek before retreating off to the side again.

Kurt fought to catch his breath and turned back to the microphone. “No offense to the Screen Actors Guild, but that just made my night.” The audience laughed and Kurt’s mind went blank. “Wow, so now I’m really regretting not writing down a speech. I guess I’d just like to thank everyone involved with _Defiance,_ with special thanks to Rob Ireland who was also the director of the stage show and for some strange reason thought that the skinny kid in the back row with the floppy hair would make a good Drew. I expect tomorrow I’ll wake up back in my bed in Lima, Ohio and find out that I dreamed all of this, but until then, thanks.” He turned away for a second before realizing he had forgotten the most important people. “Oh! And this is for Dad, Carole, and Blaine. I love you all. You’ll never know how much.”

Kurt began to walk offstage with Miss Golden Globes and the presenters and in a spur of the moment joke gave his ‘Queen of England’ wave that he sometimes used in interviews. The crowd laughed again and Kurt wrapped the noise around him like a comfy blanket. God, he missed having a live audience.

Steve met him as he stepped backstage and accompanied him to the press room, where his brain finally re-engaged with his body and he remembered everyone that he should have thanked.  After doing some mea culpas in his interviews to those he had forgotten, he returned to his seat just in time for the Best Ensemble award. He leapt to his feet and gave Blaine a big hug when _Defiance_ was named the winner. Carolyn, the star of the movie kissed him on the cheek as they headed to the stage and he held her arm to steady her up the stairs. As she made her way to the microphone to give the speech for the cast, Kurt made sure he was standing on the opposite side of the group from Giles. One picture with him was enough for one night.

A half an hour later, Kurt toppled into the back seat of the limo clutching his heavy little statuettes, one in each hand.  He groaned and laid his cheek against the cool leather of the seat. “I can’t believe I forgot to thank Bev and Lynn and…everyone.  I forgot almost everyone. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I’ll definitely be writing down names to remember for the Oscars, just in case.”

“I can’t believe that the first time you tell me you love me is in front of thousands of people and a live television audience,” Blaine commented, a slight frown on his face.

The blood drained from Kurt’s face. “I-I-I…No, I —”

Blaine’s stern expression broke and he laughed as he reached out to straighten Kurt’s tie. “Just breathe, Kurt, I know you didn’t mean it like that. I was only teasing.”

The limo came to a stop at the after-party location and the door opened with an explosion of camera flashes before Kurt could formulate a response. Of course he hadn’t meant it like that. He’d just gotten caught up in the moment and things had come out a bit wrong. He felt really close to Blaine, but it wasn’t love. At least not yet. Was it?

=^..^=

The party was loud and the crowd boisterous. Even those who hadn’t won an award that evening seemed to be sailing high on a wave of champagne and vodka. Blaine sat a table in the back, watching as Kurt giggled and basked in the attention being given him and the award he was proudly showing off. Blaine was keeping an eye on the Ensemble statue and trying to stay out of the way.  Bev and Lynn had been sitting with him earlier, but they were both long gone, leaving him feeling a little bored, but he wanted to let Kurt revel in his well-earned congratulations, so he sat tight.

Kurt had been whisked away by some of the other _Defiance_ actors as soon as they had arrived at the party. He’d had barely enough time to thrust one of the statuettes at Blaine before he disappeared into the crowd with Steve following closely behind.

That had been three hours ago.

An explosion of laughter from the back told Blaine that Kurt wasn’t coming back any time soon, so he pulled out his phone to occupy himself.

“Well, that didn’t take long.”

Blaine looked up to see Giles ooze his way onto the chair beside him, a half-empty glass of champagne in his hand. “What?”

“Only four hours after his win and you’ve already been relegated to the status of statue babysitter and table holder.” Giles finished off his drink and tossed the empty glass down. “Do you suppose Kurt even remembers that you’re here?”

“Isn’t there a film you need to go coerce yourself into?” Blaine asked dismissively.

“Oh, give up the act.  You can’t stand it that he’s not over here hanging on your every word, telling you how his success would mean nothing without you.” Giles looked him up and down insultingly, sneering as if his Calvin Klein suit was a burlap bag. “You’d better enjoy your moment in the spotlight, because Kurt is sure to drop you as soon as he finds someone who can advance his career. I mean, there’s nothing you can do for him, right? As soon as he figures that out he’ll be gone so fast you’ll have footprints up your back.” Kurt’s distinctive giggle drifted over the crowd and Giles narrowed his eyes in that direction. “Matter of fact, it’s probably starting as we speak,” he smirked. He shot Blaine a mock pitying glance before standing up and shuffling off in the general direction of the bar, his body tilted distinctly off-center to the left.

Through the crowd, Blaine could see Kurt with the arm of an extremely good looking man around his waist. The man, who Blaine recognized as one of the Best Actor nominees, had his lips close to Kurt’s ear and was whispering something very fascinating, if the expression on Kurt’s face was anything to go by. He felt a tiny flare of resentment build inside of him. It had been three hours since Kurt had even looked in his direction. He felt stupid for letting Giles get to him, but maybe the sneaky little weasel was right. Maybe Kurt was looking to trade up now that was an official award winner.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t get Kurt’s reaction to his joke about the speech out of his head. Blaine knew the “I love you” had been just a slip of the tongue and he hadn’t taken it seriously, but the fact that Kurt had looked so horrified when he’d brought it to his attention had stung a bit.

Blaine continued to stare at Kurt, hoping that he would sense him and look up, but there was no such luck. A waiter passed by and Blaine swiped a champagne glass from his tray. He lifted it towards his mouth and hesitated. This was an extremely bad idea. Drinking on the job was unprofessional as hell and would probably get his ass fired, but he couldn’t seem to bring himself to care. Steve was with Kurt, so he wasn’t in any danger and Blaine was tired, so very tired, of keeping up his perfect façade.

He lifted the glass the rest of the way and emptied it in one swallow.

=^..^=

Kurt was so happy that he thought he might float away like a balloon at any moment. His cheeks hurt from smiling and his throat was slightly sore from laughing so much. SAG winner. He was officially a SAG award winner. Him! As soon as he had entered the ballroom he’d felt a difference in the air. Everyone was looking at him and people were seeking out his attention who wouldn’t have given him the time of a day only a few weeks before. He’d been congratulated so many times that he’d lost count and he kind of hoped that no one else slapped him on the back as they spoke to him, as he was starting to develop a bruise.

He was in the middle of an in-depth conversation with one of the Best Actor nominees about which directors they would most like to work with when he noticed that the crowd had thinned out quite a bit. He glanced at his phone and was surprised to see that he’d been at the party for over three and a half hours. He felt guilty over having left Blaine alone for so long, but at least he had Bev and Lynn to keep him company. The last he’d seen them, they’d been admiring one of his statues and trying to determine the best place in his house to display it.

He broke away from his conversation as soon as was polite and hefted the heavy award up onto his shoulder as he headed back in the direction of Blaine’s table. Blaine wasn’t there, though, and neither were Bev or Lynn.  Instead, his Ensemble award sat abandoned in the center of the table surrounded by a few empty glasses. Kurt looked around, worried that something had happened. Blaine wouldn’t just leave the award behind. He’d just started to panic when he saw a flash of familiar dark hair out on the dance floor. 

With a confused look at Steve he walked towards the dance floor, where Blaine was dancing with a guy that Kurt didn’t recognize. Blaine hadn’t noticed Kurt’s approach and was boogying his heart out, shaking his head and wiggling his butt in a way that garnered him more than a few admiring looks from the other dancers. Kurt handed his statues to Steve and stalked out onto the dance floor. “Blaine.”

“Kurt!” Blaine threw himself in Kurt’s direction and thankfully Kurt caught him before he toppled into the couple that was slow dancing next to them. Blaine smiled up at him, unfazed by his near miss. “Hey everyone, it’s award winning Kurt! Isn’t he amazing? He was so good in that movie they should give him another award next year for it too.”

“Are you drunk?” Kurt asked in disbelief, glancing around to see who was watching them.

“Nah, just one glass, I swear. Oh, hey!  I love this song. Come on Kurt, dance with me!” Blaine grabbed his arm and tried to pull him further out on the floor.

Kurt shook off Blaine’s hands and gestured to the exit. “No, it’s time to leave.”

“No, no, we’re dancing. Come dance with us. Kurt, this is Fabrice.” Blaine put his arm around the shoulder of the man he’d been dancing with earlier and drew him in closer. “He’s French. Isn’t that amazing?”

“Amazing,” Kurt answered flatly.

“Fabrice is a choreographer, so he was teaching me some moves.” Blaine stumbled a bit, but kept shaking his ass and kicking out his feet.

“I’ll just bet he was.” Kurt shot a glare in Fabrice’s direction, who had the good sense to look embarrassed as he made a quick exit.

With a little bit of coaxing Kurt convinced Blaine that it was time to go home. As he poured Blaine into the limo, he hoped against hope that they were no photographers around. Well, at least Blaine was a happy drunk.

Blaine kept up a running commentary on their way home, bouncing from complimenting Kurt’s hair to pondering a career as a stunt man. They were almost back home when Blaine leaned over and tried to kiss him. Kurt shot Steve a glance as he tried to evade Blaine’s lips, happy to find that the other man was looking pointedly away from them out the window. “Blaine, not now.”

Blaine thrust his lower lip out and scowled. “But I want to kiss SAG award winner Kurt Hummel.” He leaned forward again and Kurt pushed him back. “But I guess SAG award winner Kurt Hummel doesn’t want to kiss plain old bodyguard Blaine Anderson.”

“You’re drunk and I don’t kiss drunks,” Kurt snapped.

Kurt said a silent “thank you” to the spaghetti monster in the sky when the car pulled in through the gate and dropped them off. Kurt waited for Blaine to step inside the house and then he closed the door and went directly to his room, not looking to see what Blaine did or where he went. He put his awards down on his dresser and sat on his bed as he loosened his tie.  What on earth had happened?  He’d never seen Blaine like this and frankly, he never wanted to again. He tried to hold down his anger, because he was determined not to fly off the handle again, but it was definitely a struggle. Blaine had taken one of the most important nights of his life and tainted it slightly.

He took in a deep cleansing breath and headed into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Maybe an extra-long shower would restore his good mood.

The next morning, Kurt padded into the kitchen and found Blaine slumped over at the table. He looked up when Kurt banged a cabinet door shut and winced. “God, Kurt, I’m so sorry, I —“

“Save it.” Kurt slammed a box of cereal on the counter and stormed over to the fridge for the milk. “I don’t want to hear it. Do you know how important yesterday was to me?  What a big deal that was? It was shaping up to be the best day of my whole life and you almost ruined it. ”

“I know, I —“

Kurt poured cereal into a bowl, not even caring when some spilled. “I can’t believe you would embarrass me like that. What if a reporter saw you or someone took pictures?  You were drunk!  You were drunk when you were supposed to be protecting me. Do you know how scared I am about this stalker?  Sometimes that only thing that keeps me from becoming a hermit with really long Howard Hughes-like fingernails is knowing that you’re there in case anything bad happens. But what if something bad had happened last night? What would you have done? Tried to incapacitate him with your breath?”

“Steve —“

“Don’t you dare justify this by saying that Steve was there. I count on _you_ and you let me down,” Kurt said, disappointment coloring every word.

“God, I know, I know.” Kurt felt his anger lessen a little in light of how miserable Blaine looked. “Giles said something and I let it get to me. No,” he shook his head at Kurt’s questioning look, “it wasn’t worth repeating. He just struck a nerve and… I’m a total light-weight and I know it. That’s why I never drink and I can’t believe that I did this. I have no excuse. I won’t blame you if you want to fire me.”

“Of course I’m not going to fire you. I am going to ask you to promise not to do it again, though. At least until after this whole stalker thing is over.” Kurt grabbed another bowl from the cabinet and filled it with cereal. He set it down in front of Blaine along with a cup of the coffee that had just finished brewing. “You’d better hope that Bev doesn’t get wind of this, though, or you might have to use that back-up plan of becoming a stunt man.”

Blaine blanched at the mention of Bev and then looked confused. “Stunt…?”

“You seemed mighty confident that your parkour skills would be high in demand. And if not, you could always fall back on being a bow tie model. You thought you’d be _amazing_ at it. Steve was very impressed.”

There was a thump as Blaine dropped his head back down to the table. “Oh God. Just kill me.”

Kurt sipped his coffee, his good mood restored. He was going to enjoy rubbing this in Blaine’s face for a while. Payback was a bitch and sometimes, so was he.


	22. Chapter 22

Things are starting to heat up in Hollywood with just over three weeks until the Oscars. Some details about the ceremony are starting to leak out, including confirmation that the Best Original Song nominees will be performed live on the show, all by their original artists. Three new presenters were also announced today… The fashion story is also heating up, as the top designers are making their bids to snag the perfect celebs to wear their creations. Most sought after this year are Tina Fey, who is a first time nominee for Original Screenplay; Kate Winslet, who is hoping for her third Best Actress win; and first time nominee Kurt Hummel who is rekindling interest in men’s red carpet fashions.

Speaking of Kurt Hummel, the young actor was spotted recently attending a meeting at the studios where the latest X-Men film is about to start production. Could he be throwing his hat in the ring to play one of the beloved mutants? — ReelToReal, February 8th, 2019

=^..^=

Kurt wasn’t sure if Blaine was mistaken about how many drinks he’d had at the SAG party or if he really was _that_ much of a lightweight, but whichever it was, Blaine’s hangover was at least equal to a whole bottle of champagne. Kurt had planned on mocking Blaine about the incident for at least a few more days before letting him off the hook completely, but his fun came to an abrupt end later on the first day when he spoke to Lynn and found out that she and Bev had left the party after only an hour. That meant that Blaine had been by himself for over two hours. And _that_ meant that Kurt was officially the worst boyfriend on the planet.

Blaine had retired to his bedroom earlier, saying that he was unable to shake his headache. Kurt cracked the door open and found him lying down with the lights off, a soft piano concerto playing in the background. Though his eyes looked to be closed, he was humming along softly with the music, so Kurt decided it was okay to intrude. He slipped into the room, lay down on the bed, and rested his head on Blaine’s chest. He rubbed against the soft material under his cheek as he tried to sort out his thoughts.

“So, I’m sensing a theme here. Stop me if this sounds familiar,” he said quietly. “One of us gets upset about something, but instead of trying to talk through the problem, he does or says something stupid without thinking, hurting the other one of us. Then there are apologies and promises not to do it again.”

Blaine’s arm came up and he trailed his fingers along Kurt’s bicep, causing Kurt to flex it slightly. “Yes, that does sound vaguely familiar.”

“And yet, we keep repeating it over and over,” Kurt observed. Suddenly the conversation seemed too important to be had while not looking into each other’s eyes, so he sat up and pulled his legs under him pretzel style. “It’s like _Groundhog’s Day_ only they eventually _learned_ from their repetition.”

“Hey, I love that movie,” Blaine smiled up at him. “Can I be Andi McDowell?”

Kurt shook his head. “I’m way too pretty to be Bill Murray, so I think we’re starring in our own modern remake version.” He reached down to pull at a loose thread in the comforter and absently made a mental note to cut it off neatly later, so that it didn’t pull and open the seam. Huh, there was definitely a metaphor in there for their current situation. “Seriously, though, are we ever going to learn from our mistakes? Because if we keep doing this misunderstanding-leads-to-not-so-comic-argument-which-leads-to-apologetic-reunion thing we’ll eventually have a fight we can’t come back from.”

Blaine sat up beside him and grabbed his hands, contrition stamped on every inch of his face. “Kurt, I’m sorry about the party —“

“No, no, that isn’t what this is about,” Kurt rushed to reassure him. “At least not entirely. I’m not the innocent victim in all of this. I left you alone at that party for over three hours and I should be the one that’s sorry. I thought you were with Lynn and Bev, but that’s no excuse. I ditched you as soon as we got there and just expected you to sit around waiting for me to come back. And I made you hold my award, like that was the only reason you were there. Wow, I suck.”

“Don’t,” Blaine said sternly. “Don’t say that. I didn’t mind. Truly. It was your big night and you deserved to revel in your success. That night was about you and your accomplishments. Look, we’ve spent 24 hours a day together for almost four months and that kind of constant togetherness can be hard, no matter who you are. We were in a safe location where you could spend some time with friends without me attached to your hip and you needed some space. And I wanted to give it to you. That wasn’t what was bothering me, I swear.”

“Then what was?” Kurt asked pleadingly. “And remember, we’re turning over a new honesty leaf here.”

Blaine ran his fingers through his hair, causing a few pieces to stick out and Kurt had to clench his hands to keep from smoothing them down. “Giles stopped by on his way to finish off yet another bottle of vodka and, like I told you this morning, he said a few things and I let him get to me. The waiter happened to walk by with a tray of drinks and…” Blaine sighed and rubbed his neck wearily. “It was stupid and it won’t happen again.”

Kurt could have left it there, but he was determined that they were actually going to get all of their cards out on the table this time. “But what did he say? What got you so upset that you needed to drown your sorrows in one hundred dollars a bottle champagne?”

“A hundred dollars a bottle, really?” When Kurt didn’t respond to his attempt to change the subject, Blaine dropped his gaze to his lap. “He… may have pointed out how closely you were talking with that other guy and implied you were looking to trade up.”

Besides an overwhelming desire to kill Giles in his sleep, Kurt felt sadness creep into the general area of his heart. “And you believed him?” he asked, his voice catching on the last word.

Blaine’s eyes snapped up and refocused on his face. “No! Of course not. It was just irrational jealously on my part. I knew that guy didn’t mean anything to you. I should have just gone over to join you instead of taking that drink. God I hate the way I act when I’ve been drinking.”

“Are you always so…”

“Ridiculous? Flirty? Overly-effusive?”

Kurt stifled his laugh, because he knew that Blaine wasn’t yet ready to be amused by the whole thing. “I was going to say ‘happy’, but we can use your words if you want.”

“Yes, always. I’ve got a whole list of embarrassing stories, from waking up naked covered in finger paint after having decided I was going to become the next Jackson Pollock, to the time I flirted with several guys at a bar and they got into a fight that resulted in the police being called.” Blaine flopped back down and burrowed his head into the pillow. “I stopped drinking after that one, despite some of my friends telling me I was ruining their fun.”

Kurt crawled over and lay down next to him, propping himself up on one elbow. “Well, as entertaining as you were last night, I wish you had come over and joined me. I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose. I just got caught up and lost track of time. I can be awfully self-centered and I admit it. It’s another example of our _Groundhog’s Day_ cycle. We should talk to each other when we’re upset.” He titled his head and smiled teasingly. “I hear it’s how all the cool kids are communicating these days.”

“Well, if the cool kids are doing it, you’ve got a deal.” The smile was finally reaching Blaine’s eyes as well as his lips.

“Deal.” Kurt reached out the arm he wasn’t leaning on and they shook hands. Relief flooded through him that they’d finally had a real conversation that wasn’t just about apologizing for their last argument, but was about putting down a foundation for the future. The weight that had been resting on his chest since the night before was now completely gone and they could now move on to better things. Speaking of which… “How’s the headache?”

“Finally gone. Why?”

Using his free hand Kurt grabbed the tab of the zipper running down the front of his sweater and pulled (thank God he wasn’t wearing something with buttons). “Well, in the limo you mentioned this ‘amazing’ trick you could do with your tongue and I think I need to make sure it wasn’t just a drunken boast.”

“I may be silly and amorous when I’m drunk, but I never lie,” Blaine said solemnly, his eyes following the path of Kurt’s hand.

“Oh, I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

=^..^=

Blaine was flipping through photos of the upcoming Brooks Brothers spring line (he couldn’t believe he was now paying attention to upcoming designer fashions. What had Kurt done to him?), when Kurt came into the living room and sat down next to him, snuggling in and laying his head on Blaine’s shoulder. Blaine counted himself lucky that Kurt had forgiven him for his poor decision making at the SAG party and that (by some miracle) the story hadn’t been reported on by any of the gossip sites. He still couldn’t believe that he had been stupid enough to drink while on protective duty and he was disappointed that he’d reacted that way to Giles’ taunting. He was great at taking Kurt to task for acting out, but wasn’t any better himself.

“That would look so good on you,” Kurt said as he pointed to the photo Blaine had stopped on. “We should get all those pieces. Maybe we should just buy the whole line. You deserve it.”

Blaine side-eyed him before clicking through to the next page. “Kurt, for such a good actor you are absolutely horrible at hiding it when you have an alternative agenda.”

“What?” Kurt gaped in disbelief and pressed a dramatic hand to his chest. “I try to tell my boyfriend how wonderful he is and all I get is an accusation of dishonesty and manipulation? I’m shocked. Hurt. Devastated beyond —“

“Kurt,” Blaine warned, breaking into Kurt’s soliloquy before he could really get rolling.

“Fine, be that way,” Kurt huffed. “I _may_ have just had a talk with Bev about an opportunity that’s come up that I really want to do, but it involves you and I’m not sure if you’ll agree.” Blaine set his tablet aside to show that Kurt had his attention, so he continued. “So… there’s this event they have in New York every year called _Broadway Backwards_ where they raise money for Broadway Cares. The whole show is actors singing songs from roles that they would never get cast in. The men usually sing women’s songs and vice-versa, the love songs are sung with same-sex couples, that sort of thing.”

“Okay...” Blaine drawled, unsure of where Kurt was going.

“Well, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have performed several times and were schedule to be in this year’s show too, but it turns out that their kids’ school play is scheduled for the same weekend, so they’ve had to pull out. _And_ the organizers called Bev to see if I could fill in.”

Blaine smiled and gave Kurt a pat on the knee. “That sounds great. You’ve been wanting to get back on the stage. So, why did you think I’d have a problem with it?”

“They want both of us.” Blaine’s opinion of that request must have shown on his face, because Kurt rushed to convince him. “No, listen. They want us to do the same song that Neil and David were going to do, so all we have to do is learn it. Come on, I’ve been dying to see you on stage and it’s just one performance. This will be so fun. You know you want to. I can see it in your eyes. Please, please, please? I’ll buy you that expensive hair gel you like. I’ll set you up with another deep tissue massage. I’ll let you call the shots during sex for the next month. I won’t even complain when you want to do it on the piano again, though why you like doing it on inappropriate furniture so much is beyond me—“

“Stop, stop. You’d better stop now before you promise me your kidney, should I ever need it.” Blaine looked at Kurt’s hopeful face and knew he couldn’t say no. “What song is it that they want us to do?”

Kurt suddenly found his cuticles very interesting. “Well, like I said, Neil and David had already selected it so it’s… _Marry the Man Today_ from _Guys and Dolls_.”

Blaine liked that song and thought that it would be really fun to see two guys singing the comic song, normally sung by two women, about marrying a guy even though he isn’t perfect and then trying to change him afterwards. He was already starting to run through dance steps in his head. “And this won’t come between us? You aren’t going to feel threatened or throw this back in my face later as an example of me using you to get noticed as an actor?”

Kurt narrowed his eyes. “Not if you promise to stay away from cute choreographers named Fabrice.”

Blaine silenced him quickly with a kiss. “Okay. I’m in.  When is this thing anyway?”

“The Monday before Valentine’s Day.”

“Kurt, that’s in four days.”

=^..^=

They arrived in New York on the Sunday before the show and were able to run through their song several times during the Monday morning rehearsal. Blaine got a little more confident each time they sang it, though he still wished that they’d had more than four days (four days!) to put it all together.

Lynn had set up a few talk show appearances for Kurt a few weeks before, since he and Blaine had already planned on being in New York for the Liza Minnelli concert. His interview on _Late Night with Jimmy Fallon_ had already been booked for Monday, but fortunately it taped early enough that he would be able to do the taping before heading off to the theater for _Broadway Backwards_.

Blaine stood off to the side of the stage as Kurt spoke with Jimmy and told funny stories about the Golden Globes and SAG awards. Jimmy played a clip of Kurt’s SAG acceptance speech and Blaine found himself a little choked up again, though Kurt just groaned in embarrassment and talked about how his mind had blanked out and how he’d forgotten to thank so many people.

“Speaking of your acceptance speech…” Jimmy winked slyly at the audience as he spoke. “One of the people you _did_ remember to thank was your boyfriend.” He stopped to let the audience cheer. “How are things going there, if I may ask?”

Blaine could see Kurt blush all the way from where he was standing and chuckled to himself as Kurt stumbled over his response.

Finally, Jimmy came to his rescue. “You guys seem to be a favorite target of the tabloids lately. What’s that been like?”

“Ugh,” Kurt grunted. “I really think some of those writers missed their calling.  They should be writing novels with that level of creative writing skill.”

“So the stories aren’t true? Blaine isn’t secretly planning to go into the acting business?”

Kurt laughed and reached over to take a sip of water from the glass that had been set out for him. “No, not at all. Unless acting surprised when I suggest yet another bad reality TV marathon is considered professional acting.”

The audience booed a bit at his response. “It sounds like your fans are disappointed. They probably had visions of the two of you staring in a musical together or doing a remake of _Casablanca_.”

“No,” Kurt shook his head sorrowfully, “that’s not going to happen.”

Jimmy went along with Kurt’s act and pretended to try and cheer him up. “Hey, chin up. Maybe you can do all of that with the next boyfriend.”

“Yes, I’ll try to pick better for you all next time,” Kurt replied wryly.

Everyone laughed because it was obvious he was kidding, but Blaine knew it was probably the truth. Kurt’s next boyfriend most likely _would_ be in an actor and his fans would be ecstatic at the thought of seeing them perform together. He and Kurt had never really spoken about the future of their relationship and Blaine didn’t want to force the subject. He didn’t want to taint the time they had together by making plans and promises that would just be broken. Better to live in the moment and enjoy what he had for the time that he had it.

The interview wrapped up with a reminder for everyone to watch the _Academy Awards_ at the end of the month. Blaine grabbed Kurt’s things from his dressing room and met him by the door and within minutes they were zooming back across town to the theater where _Broadway Backwards_ was being held.

They made it in plenty of time and their performance went off without a hitch. The crowd loved them and Blaine could see that a few phones were out, capturing their routine for immediate dispersal on the internet. He’d been worried that returning to the stage after so many years might rekindle his love of performing, but as he stood looking out at the audience he was thankful to find that he had no real desire to repeat the experience again. It had been fun because he was with Kurt, but that was all.

He and Kurt took their bows and cleared the stage for the next act. Kurt stopped as soon as they were out of sight of the audience and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for doing this,” he whispered as the Master of Ceremonies started introducing the next song.

“It was my pleasure.” He took Kurt’s hand and pulled him through the bustling backstage area towards the dressing rooms. “Now let’s go take this make-up off. I have to go Tweet about getting to share the stage with award winning actor Kurt Hummel. My followers are going to freak out.”

=^..^=

Kurt couldn’t believe that time was passing so quickly. It seemed like just yesterday that he had opened Blaine’s Christmas gift to him, but here it was, already Valentine’s Day and the concert at Radio City Music Hall was only hours away. He had banished Blaine to the suite’s other bedroom earlier with a quick kiss and a pat on the ass, saying that he needed extra time to make himself presentable for the incomparable Liza Minnelli, but he really just wanted to look his best for his special night out with Blaine. It was going to be his first Valentine’s Day date and he wanted it to be perfect.

He ran a bath using his most expensive French bubble bath and relaxed back into the water with cucumber slices over his eyes. He could feel the steam sinking into his pores and plumping up his skin, the rich scent of vanilla and cinnamon lulling him into a half-sleep.

Luckily, he’d set the alarm on his phone, so he got out of the bath right on schedule. He wiped down the mirror and studied himself in it. He still didn’t see what others seemed to when they looked at him, but there was one thing he agreed with everyone on and that was that he had awesome hair. He spent longer than usual styling the thick mass, trying to keep it supple without losing height or shape. He loved it when Blaine ran his fingers through it and didn’t want him to get stuck later in a web of mousse and hairspray.

After he finished in the bathroom, he walked to the closet and pulled out the ensemble he’d bought specifically for that evening. He and Blaine had agreed on no traditional suits; they’d had plenty of opportunities to wear those lately. Instead, Kurt had selected a pair of dark gray pants that could easily be mistaken for leather breeches, a high collared shirt with embroidery on the collars and cuffs, and an amazing silver-gray silk jacket that was a modern take on a Baroque era garment. He finished it all off with black riding-style boots and the phoenix brooch. He looked like he‘d stepped out of some Avant-garde music video and he loved it.

He slipped his phone and wallet into a black leather messenger bag (there were no pockets in his pants and absolutely zero chance of him ruining the lines of the jacket by using its pockets) and went to knock on the other bedroom door. It opened to reveal Blaine looking delicious and stunning in buttery soft black pants and a black V-neck sweater with vertical velvet stripes. It was different from what he usually wore, but gorgeous on him. He’d left his hair a little looser than normal and Kurt smiled at the thought that they had both styled their hair thinking about ease of handling at the other end of the evening.

The concert was magical. Their tickets were sixth row center and he could practically reach out and touch Liza’s over mascaraed eyelashes and short, spiky hair. He could have sworn he’d even forgotten to breathe when she sang _Maybe This Time_ from _Cabaret_ during the encore and he was eternally grateful that Blaine had thought to bring a handkerchief with him so that he didn’t stain his silk jacket with his tears.

They had a late dinner after the concert and Kurt couldn’t begin to describe how happy it made him to look around at all of the couples in the restaurant and know that for once, he too was a part of that grand romantic Valentine’s tradition. They capped the evening off by feeding each other chocolate mousse so light it was hardly there and walked the two blocks back to their hotel.

Kurt floated into the room on a cloud, singing the _Theme from New York, New York_ under his breath. He pushed Blaine up against the door as soon as it was closed and proceeded to kiss him senseless. He could feel Blaine straining under his hands to bring them even closer and he smiled against his lips. “Stay right here. Give me a few minutes.”

Blaine gave a moan of protest, but let him go. Kurt slipped into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He checked the closet and was glad to see that the box that Lynn had shipped out to him had been delivered to the room while they were gone. He opened the box and pulled out the clothing inside.  After figuring out how to put the items on, he went to stand next to the bed and called out to Blaine to join him.

The door opened and Blaine bounded in, eager to pick up where they had left off, but once he caught sight of Kurt he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Kurt, is that…? Does this mean what I think it means?”

Kurt ran his hand down the front of his skintight black Lycra bodysuit with light gray shoulders and belt. “I got the part!  I’m Northstar! I heard just before we left L.A. I wanted to surprise you, so Lynn sent this silly costume version of the outfit. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Blaine strode over to him and lifted him up. Kurt grasped his shoulders in surprise and laughed as he swung him around in a circle.

“You are going to be the sexiest superhero _ever_. Bar none,” Blaine growled as he set him back down.

“Hmm…” Kurt ran a finger absently along the neckline of Blaine’s sweater. “I was thinking that I might give you a demonstration of part of my audition? Maybe show you some examples of my flexibility and stamina?” He batted his eyes seductively and smiled.

Blaine groaned and captured his lips for a deep kiss. Kurt spun them around and pushed Blaine back on the bed, moving to kneel over him, the Lycra stretching and straining around his thighs as he moved. “Be good and maybe I’ll show you some of my trapeze skills too.”

It wasn’t until much later, when they were laying together in a wrung-out pile in the middle of the bed that a thought occurred to Kurt. He was in love. Kurt Hummel was in love with intense, charming, disarming, wonderful Blaine Anderson. And it scared him to death.

=^..^=

The final weeks before the Oscars were filled with almost non-stop photo shoots, interviews, official brunches, and practice runs of his Best Original Song performance. It wasn’t until the day before the show that Kurt was able to take a breath and enjoy himself, which for fortuitous, since he had a party planned for that day.

After looking at the schedule of the post-Oscar parties, he and Blaine had decided to stay at a hotel near the theater instead of making a late night (or very early morning) drive back home. They had even checked in a few days early in order to spend extra time with Kurt’s family. Kurt had invited them and several of his friends out to L.A. for a pre-Oscars party and he had booked rooms for them all at the same hotel they were staying at.

Everyone was set to arrive at the poolside space reserved for the party at any minute and Kurt was busy tinkering nervously with the arrangement of the different food platters and sneaking side glances at Blaine, who was a few feet away, speaking with the bartender.

He still hadn’t told Blaine about his Valentine’s Day epiphany. He kept searching for the right way to bring it up, but each time he thought he was close his courage failed him. After nearly a week of putting it off, he’d decided to wait until after the Oscars were over and things had returned to at least semi-normal. The decision didn’t stop him from losing himself in daydreams or staring at Blaine so long that his thoughts must surely be evident, but at least he was no longer becoming tongue-tied each time Blaine came into the room.

“Everything looks wonderful. Stop worrying,” Blaine assured him as Kurt moved the fruit platter to the right of the desserts in order to try and bring better balance to the color scheme of the table.

“Do you think I should have ordered more food options?” Kurt worried as he took in the elegant plates of food. “I’m not sure if Puck even knows what a canapé is and Brittany was really into fondue in high school. Maybe I should have —“

“They’ll love it, Kurt. They’ll love it because they love you.”

Kurt loved the way that Blaine said his name, a touch deeper and slower than the other words around it, as if he was savoring the feeling of it on his tongue; it made him feel warm and safe. Suddenly, it seemed like the right time to say everything that he’d been keeping inside. He’d been given the perfect opening and was going to take it. He opened up his mouth and…

“Kurt, have you seen the size of our room?” His dad called out as he and Carole wove through the lounge chairs towards the cabana. “It has a Jacuzzi in it! We put that to good use last night, let me tell ya.”

And the moment was gone. Kurt’s parents had arrived the day before and were more excited than he‘d ever seen them. He’d treated Carole to a day at the spa while he’d had Burt taken on a private tour of a local classic car museum he’d always wanted to see. After everyone had returned home, he’d presented Carole with the red dress she’d tried on back in November and the look in his dad’s eyes when he’d seen her in it had had him looking away in embarrassment (it was never okay to see your parents when they were having impure thoughts. Never).  They’d checked into the hotel after dinner and each couple had retired to their own rooms. Kurt had spent the evening trying to pretend that Burt and Carole were just going to sit down and watch a nice long movie. Now the unfortunate picture of his parents in the Jacuzzi wouldn’t leave his mind. If only there was a way that he could un-hear that news.

Finn appeared a few minutes later and within half-an-hour all of the guests had arrived. It’d been a few years since Kurt had seen Britney, Santana, or Puck, so it was great catching up with them in person rather than via texts or email. With Rachel and Mercedes there too, it was a mini-New Directions reunion and they gave a toast to the friends that hadn’t been able to make it. A few of Kurt’s New York and L.A. friends came too and within an hour everyone had gotten to know each other and were eating and drinking up a storm.

Kurt caught Rachel on her way to the bar and pulled her aside. “How are rehearsals going?”

She gave him a blinding smile and threw her arms tightly around his neck. “So good that I’m afraid to pinch myself for fear I’ll wake up. They’re doing some rewrites and they’ve decided to expand my character! I’m getting a second song and everything.”

“I knew they couldn’t resist that Berry talent,” Kurt managed to choke out despite his constricted airway.

“I promise I’ll thank you in my Tony acceptance speech,” Rachel teased as she pulled back, finally letting him breathe. “Right after Barbra and Patti, of course.”

“Of course.”

=^..^=

The party was going amazingly well. Blaine had enjoyed meeting more of Kurt’s friends and getting to know the ones he’d already met better. He’d even had a long conversation with Burt that had left him seconds away from throwing his arms around him and pleading to be adopted. Kurt was looking more relaxed than he had in weeks and was flitting from group to group like a social butterfly. All-in-all, it was a wonderful way to while away the hours before the stressful day ahead of them.

He was standing at the buffet filling a small plate with hummus and pita chips when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Hey Squirt, can you step aside? You’re blocking the sushi rolls.”

Blaine whipped his head around and did a double-take. “Cooper? What are you going here?”

“Kurt invited me of course.” Cooper gave him a one-armed hug and slapped him on the back. “I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”

A faint flare of disappointment ran through him, but Blaine tamped it down. “Oh, right. Oscar weekend in Hollywood is probably prime networking time, huh?”

“Yeah, but that’s not what I meant,” Cooper frowned as he sorted through the different types of sushi on the platter before selecting a California roll. “I came here for you. How often does a guy get to see his brother escort an Academy Award nominee on the biggest night of the year? I’m proud of you, little brother.”

“You know that _I_ didn’t actually do anything, right?”

“ _You_ grew up to be the kind of man that most of us could only hope to be and that’s worth more than any award.”

Blaine felt his heart clench within his chest and tears threatened. “Coop.”

“Hey, none of that. Save the tears for when lover boy over there wins and remember, try to get them to photograph you from the right side. As a favor to me.”

It was at least 20 minutes before Blaine was able to get Kurt alone. Puck was entertaining the crowd with some so-unbelievable-that-they-had-to-be-true stories of his sexual exploits with the cougar ladies of Los Angeles, so Blaine drew Kurt to the back corner of the cabana, which was now glowing with the torches that’d been lit as dusk started to approach.

“You didn’t have to invite Cooper, you know,” Blaine pointed out as he wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist. “You only met him the one time after all.”

Kurt looked surprised. “Of course I had to invite him. I wanted all my closest friends and family here and he’s family, right?”

Blaine didn’t have the words to respond, so he just kissed him lightly instead. Kurt never ceased to surprise him. Every time he thought he had Kurt figured out, he went in the opposite direction.  

The crowd around Puck broke up and Blaine and Kurt returned to the group to make their rounds again, but this time they did it together.

=^..^=

It was five minutes until the live telecast of the _92 nd Annual Academy Awards_ was set to begin and the late arrivals were rushing to make it to their seats in time for the opening monologue. Kurt had just returned from doing a little schmoozing and was now sitting tensely in his seat, his left leg bouncing uncontrollably. Blaine sat next to him, trying to keep a pleasant, bland look on his face for the cameras that were roaming around, but he was having a hard time, given how good Kurt looked in his perfectly tailored Alexander McQueen tux. Completely traditional and one hundred percent stunning, the garment showed his trim body off to perfection and had resulted in more than one person staring at him with lust in their eyes as he’d walked down the red carpet.

“Kurt, calm down, you’re going to wear yourself out before they even get to your category,” Blaine murmured as Kurt’s fingers started to drum on the armrest.

“I’m kind of freaking out about performing for so many people,” Kurt whispered sheepishly as he glanced around at the cameras that would be beaming the ceremony all over the world.

Blaine stroked his hand softly with a fingertip, wishing there was something he could do to help. “Didn’t you perform live on the Tony Awards?”

“Please remember that theater is my first love when I say this, but no one watches the Tonys. Can we please stop talking about this? Quick, distract me.”

Blaine thought for a second. “Did you know that if you win tonight you’ll be half-way to having the EGOT?”

Kurt stared at him blankly for a second before collapsing against him with laughter. “Gee thanks, you always know just what to say.”

The music swelled and the lights dimmed and finally the moment had arrived.

An assistant came to fetch Kurt for his Original Song performance about 40 minutes into the ceremony and Blaine went with him. Once backstage, Kurt was hustled off to make-up and hair, so Blaine stood outside of the room watching the hustle and bustle of the backstage action.

 “Blaine?”

He turned at the sound of his name. A man was approaching with a tentative smile and Blaine struggled to put a name with the face. Then it clicked. The Disney Channel guy. “Umm…Robert, right?”

“Right!” Robert looked pleased that Blaine had remembered him. “I don’t think we were ever formally introduced, even when we were both on set in Victoria, but I saw you over here and… So what are you doing back here?”

Blaine glanced towards the make-up room. “Kurt’s about to perform his song, so I came along to support him.”

“Wow, that’s so great. I can’t believe I’m going to be able to see him perform live again,” Robert exclaimed happily.

“Again?”

“Uh, yeah. I saw him several times in New York. I was kind of obsessed with him,” Robert smiled sheepishly. “Don’t tell him I said that, though. It’s kind of embarrassing. I promise I’m not a stalker or anything.”

A tickle of warning ran down Blaine’s spine at Robert’s choice of words. He smiled weakly and looked around to see if any security guards were in the near vicinity. “No, of course I won’t say anything. What are _you_ doing back here?  Are you part of the show?”

“I’m doing back-stage reporting for one of the entertainment shows. Maybe I can get an interview with Kurt if he wins?”

“Maybe. I don’t know how all that works, so… Hey, it looks like someone is trying to get your attention.” Blaine tilted his head in the direction of an exasperated camera man who was gesturing at Robert with a microphone.

“Oops. Back to the grindstone. It was great seeing you. Hopefully I’ll see you guys again later tonight.” He waved goodbye and hurried off towards his impatient co-worker.

Blaine watched him go with narrowed eyes. He would have to keep his eye open for Robert the rest of the evening. Something about the guy just didn’t sit right with him.

Kurt emerged from make-up just then and was hustled towards the stage. Blaine followed at a distance, his eyes sweeping over the hundreds of people roaming the backstage area. The Academy Awards would be exactly the kind of place a stalker would attack if this was the movies and he wanted to be prepared, just in case Kurt’s self-proclaimed ‘soulmate’ had a flair for the dramatic.

Kurt killed the song and received a standing ovation from the audience. He left the stage and leapt into Blaine’s arms, giving him a kiss that curled his toes.

“I did it,” he cried happily, his body practically vibrating with excitement.

“You did and you were spectacular, but the evening’s not over yet, my dear. Shall we return to our seats?” Blaine crooked an elbow and bowed his head. Kurt tilted his head regally in response and took his arm and they headed back to the auditorium.

After that, the ceremony dragged for a while as the awards for documentary, short film, and other various lower tier categories were given out. Then the Original Song category was announced and Kurt sat up a bit taller. He jumped to his feet when the song from _Defiance_ was declared the winner and Blaine saw him surreptitiously wipe away a tear when the songwriter thanked him in his speech, saying that the win “would never have been possible if we hadn’t found someone with such a spectacular and unique voice as Kurt Hummel.”

Finally, in the last half hour of the ceremony, Kurt’s category was announced. Jennifer Lawrence, who had won the previous year for Best Supporting Actress, was the presenter and as she read the nominees Blaine felt Kurt grab his hand and squeeze it tightly.

“And the Oscar goes to…Kurt Hummel!”

Blaine looked over at Kurt and saw the shock in his eyes. He leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, but Kurt had other plans. He turned towards Blaine, put his hands on either side of his face and tugged him in for a quick, but passionate kiss. He pulled back and smiled wickedly before standing up and walking up the stairs to the stage.

Blaine watched as he accepted the Oscar from Jennifer and stepped up to the microphone. He thanked the _Defiance_ cast and crew and his own personal team before glancing down at the statue in his hands and smiling.

“Six years ago I was rejected from NYADA and almost gave up on my dream. There’s only so many times you can hear ‘no’ before you start to doubt yourself, no matter how confident you are. Life can be tough when you’re the one people always patronizingly call ‘special.’  You don’t fit into the set list of categories, so people don’t know what to do with you. Hopefully, if you’re lucky, you have a family who supports everything you do, who loves you no matter what, and believes in you even when you don’t. I’ve been thankful enough to have a family just like that and I want to dedicate this first of all to my father, Burt, who’s here tonight.” There was a shout from the back of the theater as Burt joyfully yelled out Kurt’s name. “He attended every childhood tea party and mystery theater night with a smile on his face and has supported me ever since I asked for a pair of heels for my third birthday. Also, I’d like to dedicate this to Carole and Finn, who helped us make our house a home. And finally to Blaine, who not only looks damn good in a suit — I mean seriously have you guys seen him? — but has the biggest and best heart of anyone I know. I’m the better person for having known all of you.”

He blew Blaine and his parents a kiss as he left the stage, but Blaine barely saw it through his tears.

The after-parties were a blur and all Blaine was sure of was that Kurt didn’t let the statue, or Blaine, out of his sight all night.


	23. Chapter 23

_I cant breathe   look at what was in my mailbox this morning  sorry for the poor quality scan  my hands are SHAKING [entertainment weekly classic romances image] This is literally everything I have ever wanted in my life_

_wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt wet shirt *screaming* KurT IN A WET SEE THOrUGH SHIRTttttt #is that a nIPPLE????_

_Oh god, this is the photo shoot we got tipped too a few months ago, right? #;___;  nothing will ever top this  #nothing_

_OTP 5eva_

_I’m getting a tattoo of the baby/johnny pic #its decided #yolo_

_first the Oscar and now this? we kurtsies are sOOoo spoiled #but we deserve it lbr_

_klaine as elizabeth and darcy???? #one million percent done #opens window steps out flies to the sun_

_this is now my number one forever reblog #im not kidding my blog may just consist of these photos for now until eTRNITY_

_im not ok SOS this is not a drill #my brain has melted #goodbye brain u was a good bitch_

_I found this article to be a fascinating, in-depth look at the still pervasive discrimination that oh who am I kidding NipplE!  I see NIPPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

_#dumb so dumb dumbest thing ever_

_You do realize that the From Here to Eternity one is going to be the closest we ever see to them having sex right?_

_#i am in a blanket burrito of feelings_

_UNF_

=^..^=

Kurt was shocked to find that the life of a newly minted Oscar winner was almost as hectic as that of a campaigning nominee. Thankfully, the uproar only lasted a week and then the craziness started to die down a little, leaving him able to take a little time for himself. He had one last meeting at Bev’s office to discuss the upcoming _X-Men_ cast announcement and then he was free for the whole glorious weekend.

He brought his Oscar with him to the office and spent several minutes taking pictures with different staff members. Eventually everyone had gotten their photos with him and just wanted to take funny pictures of themselves holding the statuette, so he left them to it and wandered over to Kellie’s desk to talk. He was in the middle of complementing her new Brian Atwood pumps when he saw two tickets poking out of an envelope on her desk.

“You’re going to _The Sing-Along Sound of Music_ tomorrow?” Kurt cried as he picked up the tickets. “So are Blaine and I! It’s one of my yearly traditions.”

Kellie squealed at the news and told him how Rodney had surprised her with the tickets for Valentine’s Day. They chatted for several minutes about the pro-and-cons of wearing costumes to the event and Kurt lamented the dearth of men’s clothing options if one didn’t want to dress up like a Nazi or wear floral short-alls. Kellie, who had never been to the event before, described her attempt to re-create Maria’s iconic dress from the opening scene and asked Kurt for his advice, which he was only too happy to give.

They were discussing their favorite songs when Bev opened her door and beckoned him inside. Blaine smiled at him from where he was keeping an eye on the Oscar as people passed it around and gave him a wink. Kurt gave a little wave and disappeared into Bev’s office, eager to hear about when he could finally start telling people he was about to be one of Hollywood’s latest superheroes.

It turned out that press releases were going to start going out the following week, with Kurt being one of the first cast members announced due to his recent prominence in the news. The plan was to build on the momentum of his name being attached to the project by holding a promotional event where he and several of the other actors would appear for a photo call and press interviews. All of the top entertainment gossip sites and shows would be sending reporters and fans would also be a big part of the announcement, as the studio had run a contest where one hundred people won the chance to attend and meet the cast.

Though Kurt knew that Blaine wouldn’t like it, he was excited to be able to get out and meet some fans face-to-face. After all, what were the odds that his stalker would be attending such an exclusive event?

=^..^=

The end credits began to roll and Kurt clapped wildly along with the rest of the audience. As the lights came back on in the theater, a small crowd of autograph seekers gathered around him. He signed their programs, posed for a few photos, and laughed at Blaine’s look of discomfort when a few of the girls asked that he be in the pictures too. Finally, they bid goodbye to the last fan and a waiting usher directed them to the VIP room where they would wait for their car.

Blaine’s phone rang, and as he answered it Kurt began to sway back-and-forth, humming _Edelweiss_ under his breath. He’d seen the movie hundreds of times (at least 20 of them on the big screen. God, he was getting old), but each time it still got to him. It had to be one of the most romantic movies ever, to say nothing about the incredible soundtrack.

“Bill isn’t here with the car yet,” Blaine reported as he hung up the phone. “Construction or something has the roads blocked and traffic is all messed up. We’ll just have to sit tight until he can make it or get close enough for us to come to him.”

“Then I guess that means we have time to dance.” Kurt grinned mischievously and extended his hand. “Mr. Anderson, would you like to take a spin on the dance floor with me?”

Blaine grasped his hand and they began to waltz around the room. “You’re in a good mood.”

“That movie just makes me happy, I guess. Come on, let’s sing _Sixteen Going on Seventeen_.”

Before Blaine could respond, they heard the sound of a voice on a loudspeaker coming from outside the theater, but neither of them could quite make out what it was saying. The VIP lounge connected to a second room that had an external exit, so Blaine went to poke his head out the door to see what was going on.

Just a few seconds after Blaine disappeared out of sight into the next room there was a knock on the door. Kurt tensed as the door opened, but relaxed when he saw that it was just Rodney.

“Hey Kurt, there’s a rumor of police activity down the street, so Kellie asked me to check in on you.” Rodney slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around the room casually. “So I guess Blaine’s in the office getting the scoop about what’s going on, huh? You know, Kurt, I don’t think he takes as good of care of you as you deserve.” Kurt was just about to tell Rodney it really wasn’t any of his business when the other man spoke again. “You look really great tonight, by the way. That’s the jacket you wore to the theater in New York in January, right?”

Kurt looked down at his tartan plaid jacket and smiled. “Yeah, I think you’re right. I…” He trailed off and looked up to meet Rodney’s eyes. “How did you know what I was wearing that night?”

Rodney smiled softly at him. “I hung around outside the hotel after I delivered my present. How did you like the rose petals, by the way? Wasn’t that romantic?”

Suddenly it was as if a giant spotlight had been switched on and everything that had been in darkness was now illuminated. Rodney was the stalker. Oh my God, Rodney was the stalker. Kurt could feel his heart begin to pound in his chest as the realization washed over him. His first instinct was to call out to Blaine in the other room, but Rodney still had his hands in his pockets and Kurt was afraid that he might he armed.

“That-that was you?” Kurt asked, although he already knew the answer.

“Of course. I wanted to do something special, since _someone_ monopolized you on New Year’s Eve. I knew those were your favorite colors of roses, so I looked everywhere for them.” Rodney’s voice had tightened for a second when he’d referred to Blaine, but the moment was gone and now he just looked proud about his success at finding the right flowers.

“And how-how did you know that?” Kurt darted his eyes towards the doorway where Blaine had disappeared and saw a movement through the door crack. He hoped it wasn’t just wishful thinking on his part that it looked as if Blaine was standing between the door and the wall, watching them and evaluating the situation.

Rodney took a step closer to him, tracking his every movement like a hawk with a mouse. “Kellie delivered that huge bouquet to you, remember? She kept it at her house overnight, so I was able to take a picture. That was very sneaky of you, letting me know your favorite flower that way.”

Kurt smiled weakly and glanced around the room to hide the fact that he was trying to catch a glimpse of Blaine again. In the dimness of the other room it looked as if Blaine was motioning his hand back-and-forth. Hoping that he was interpreting the movement correctly, Kurt began to move slightly away from the door, forcing Rodney to turn his back on it. “It was, wasn’t it?”

“I mean, I know you had to do it that way because _he_ won’t leave you alone for two seconds.” Rodney’s eyes hardened. “I must say, I was very disappointed when you took up with him just as I was going to have us meet for the first time. I was very angry at you for a while, but then Kellie told me how he was just a bodyguard who was protecting you from some crazed fan, so I decided to forgive you.”

Kurt took another step to the left. “That was big of you.”

“I was angry at the _Ellen_ taping when I heard Kellie say that you guys were really together, but I think I get it now. It’s all an act, right? Publicity and all that? But you don’t need that anymore, Kurt. I love you so much and we can be together for real now. There’s no need to keep up the pretense with _him_. He’s only using you, after all.”

One more step and Kurt was on the opposite side of the room from Blaine with Rodney still facing him. “Yes, it was all Lynn and Bev’s idea, you know. Nothing gets the good publicity like a new romance.” He could see Blaine moving, getting ready to make his move.

“But there’s no need for him any longer.” Kurt saw a flash as Rodney pulled his hands out of his pocket and his eyes widened when he saw what looked to be a small pocket knife poking out. “We can be together now and our real love will be recognized by everyone.”

Suddenly, Rodney rushed at him and grabbed his arms. Kurt was momentarily paralyzed by fear and watched in horror as Rodney’s face came closer, his intent of kissing Kurt clear. Without thinking, Kurt spun around and performed the move that Blaine had taught him months before. Rodney sailed over his head and slammed down onto the floor, the sound of his skull rapping against the hardwood echoing in the small room. Unfortunately, the impact didn’t knock him out and only succeeded in making him angry. Spittle flew from his mouth as he jumped to his feet with an angry bellow. He reached towards his pocket and charged at Kurt.

Suddenly, Blaine was there and with a kick and well-placed neck chop Rodney was back on the floor, this time down for the count. Blaine kicked the knife away as he crouched down beside him. He flipped Rodney over so that he was face down and knelt in the center of his back to keep him in place. He motioned for Kurt to pull the belt from his pants and he used it to bind Rodney’s hands before searching his pockets, where he found only a cell phone and a bottle of unlabeled pills.

He put the items aside and sat in the middle of Rodney’s back while he pulled out his own phone and called the police. When he hung up he finally looked up and Kurt could see the residual fear in his eyes. Kurt sunk down to his knees and crawled over to him. He sat on Rodney’s legs as the unconscious man began to stir faintly and hugged Blaine for all he was worth until the police arrived.

=^..^=

The next several hours were a blur. Rodney was taken to the hospital under armed guard and Kurt found himself separated from Blaine at the police station as he told the story of what had happened for the official record. Blaine disappeared into another interview room and eventually Steve arrived to take Kurt home, leaving Blaine behind. Steve stayed the night in Blaine’s bedroom at Bev’s request, but his presence didn’t really make Kurt feel any better.

It wasn’t until late the next day that Kurt learned the details that had been uncovered. Rodney had been uncooperative at first, but had eventually broken down and confessed to everything, though he maintained that what he had done shouldn’t really be considered a crime, since he and Kurt were in love (Kurt shivered in disgust at the very idea).

Evidently, he had started his obsession with Kurt when he saw him perform on Broadway, and when Kurt had moved out to Los Angeles Rodney had followed. He had tried unsuccessfully to get a job at Bev’s agency, but since his experience as a pastry chef didn’t make him qualified for any of the open positions, he had schemed to find another way in. He’d watched the building for several days before zeroing in on Kellie, who he then proceeded to “accidently” bump into at the grocery store. He pursued her and once they began to date he had used the computer she sometimes brought home to find out Kurt’s schedule, travel details, and other information, including his original address. Kellie hadn’t kept information on Kurt’s new house on her laptop after he was forced to move, which had thwarted Rodney’s efforts for a while. In frustration he had vandalized Kurt’s car, using gallons of honey he’d stolen from work.

After talking with Kellie, the police discovered that Rodney had put her into a cab after the _Ellen_ taping, claiming to have an urgent errand he needed to run, which left him free to try and tail Kurt home. Not long after, she’d delivered the roses that Blaine had bought and Rodney confirmed that he had found Kurt’s new address on her phone’s GPS app. He constructed his strange mannequin display soon after.

Over Christmas he had searched Kellie’s computer once again and found Kurt’s New York hotel details. He told Kellie he had a pastry conference to attend and left town, travelling to New York where he followed Kurt and broke into his hotel room.

Kellie hadn’t known anything about how Rodney was using her to get to Kurt. Needless to say, she was devastated and horrified.

The police searched Rodney’s computer and found the information that Jacob Ben Israel had sent him about Kurt. One of the anecdotes Jacob had related was about how much Kurt loved _The Sing-Along Sound of Music_ and how he had been attending it every year since he was a child. Armed with this information, Rodney had purchased tickets for the show, hoping that he would have the chance to get Kurt alone. He’d tried to ensure this would happen by calling in a fake bomb threat to a hotel down the street from the theater. His hope had been that Blaine would go investigate, leaving Kurt alone.

It was unclear exactly what Rodney might be charged with, but unlawful imprisonment, making bomb threats, and stalking seemed the most likely given the circumstances.

He had been unarmed except for the pocket knife, but the police had confirmed that the pills he’d been carrying were Rohypnol. Kurt excused himself from the room at that revelation and ran to the nearest bathroom, where his breakfast threatened to make a re-appearance.

He splashed some cold water on his face and looked up with a start when he heard the door open. His eyes met Blaine’s in the mirror and he smiled shakily. “It seems kind of ridiculous to be upset now that it’s all over. I should be singing and dancing in the streets.”

Blaine handed him a paper towel and sank a hip against the sink. “You’ll get to the singing and dancing, I’m sure. You need to decompress first, though. The shock of what happened will take a while to process.”

“You’re probably used to this kind of stuff, aren’t you?” Kurt grimaced at the roughness of the paper against his skin as he blotted.

“Nothing I’ve ever experienced prepared me for _that_. When I heard his voice and realized what was going on? I nearly broke my hand by holding onto the door frame so tight to keep myself from storming in there. There’s no telling how he would have reacted if I’d done it, but everything within me was yelling that I should ignore all my training and just run to your side. I’m afraid I’ve lost all semblances of professional detachment and discipline.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. If you’d come running in earlier I’m sure he would have tried to make use of that knife and I kind of prefer both of us in our original non-perforated states.”

Blaine wrapped a hand around Kurt’s neck and pulled him forward until their foreheads met. “Don’t even joke about that, Kurt. I was scared to death.”

“I wasn’t. I mean, I _was_ , but I knew you’d save me. My hero.” He made a joke of it by batting his eyelashes and sighing loudly, but he did really mean it.

“Ummm…in case you don’t remember, you kind of saved yourself. I just stepped in for the clean-up work.”

Kurt grinned and held one arm up to flex his bicep. “We do make a dynamic duo, don’t we?”

Blaine pretended to swoon at the sight of Kurt’s muscle. “As an official _X-Men_ cast member aren’t you contractually prohibited from making a _Batman_ reference?”

“Is that what where that’s from?  See! I know more about comic books than I thought.”

“Graphic novels.”

“Dork,” Kurt whispered as he moved forward the last few inches until their lips met. He was about to deepen the kiss when he heard the sound of the door creaking. He broke away and opened his eyes, blinking as he realized they were still standing in the middle of the men’s restroom.

The man coming in gave them a strange look on his way to one of the stalls and they high-tailed it out of there, snickering as they went.

=^..^=

It wasn’t until the stalking was finally over that Kurt realized just how much it had been affecting him. He suddenly felt 100 pounds lighter and found himself prone to fits of giggles at the drop of a hat. Not only was he now no longer looking over his shoulder and fearful to open his own fan mail, but now he and Blaine could have a normal relationship.

It was two days after their talk with the police, and Kurt was sailing around the kitchen making a celebration dinner. Tonight he was finally going to confess his love for Blaine and the butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach were just going to have to chill out.

They were just finishing dessert when Kurt saw his moment.

“Blaine I want—“

“Kurt, there’s something —“

They both stopped and laughed, each gesturing to the other one to go ahead and speak first.  Finally, Blaine took the initiative and continued with what he had been saying.

“I got a call from my boss today. I’ve been reassigned to a new client,” he reported as he moved the last bite of chocolate cake back-and-forth on his plate with his fork.

“Oh,” Kurt blinked in surprise for a second. “I-I guess that makes sense. That was fast. Can I ask who it is?”

“There’s a banking executive in Zurich who’s been getting a lot of threats lately, so I’m being brought in to guard his little girl.”

Kurt wondered where the truck had come from that had just hit him and if anyone had gotten its license plate number. “Zurich? You’re leaving? I-I thought you’d stay here, in L.A. I mean, this town must use like 95 percent of the world’s bodyguards, so I’m sure it won’t be a problem finding a job. In fact…”

“Kurt, if I get a job in L.A. it’ll blow my cover. People will know we lied about who I was.” Blaine shook his head sadly. “Plus, you’ve seen how many hours are needed for my job. Our situation was extreme, but even on normal jobs I’m lucky to get two, maybe three days off a month. Even if I stayed here we’d never get to see each other.”

There had to be a solution and Kurt knew he could find it if he just thought hard enough. “We could still make it work. Two or three days is better than nothing,” he said calmly, not wanting to appear desperate or clingy.

“You’re going to be out of the country for four months on the _X-Men_ and who knows for how long with the next movie,” Blaine pointed out.

“I-I can only take roles that film in L.A. I —“ Kurt tried to hang onto his composure, but he felt it slipping a little.

“I can’t ask you to do that.” Blaine looked alarmed at the suggestion. “That would kill your career. You’ve wanted this for too long and you’re too good at it. I think you know this is for the best.”

“For the… Are you breaking up with me?” Kurt felt like he had stepped into a bottomless pit and was still falling.

Blaine snatched his hands up and held them tightly. “Kurt, you are going to do amazing things — play the great roles, set the world on fire with your talent, and inspire people. And I want to watch you do all those things, but this isn’t the movies and you know as well as I do that long distance relationships rarely work in reality, especially with professions like ours that will keep us almost always apart. You’re going to meet so many exciting people on set and around town and…”

“You think I’d cheat on you?” Kurt asked dully.

“I don’t think you’d plan on it or that you’d want to, but… Kurt, what we have is so special and it’s the best thing to happen to me in my whole life, I swear and…and I’d just like us to end it now instead of waiting until we’ve ruined everything. Because I don’t think I could take it if we weren’t friends.”

Kurt nodded his agreement numbly, because he didn’t want to lose Blaine’s friendship either.  He understood the logic of what Blaine was saying, but logic didn’t matter to his heart. His heart knew that they could make the long distance thing work, but evidently he had more faith in them than Blaine did.

He stopped trying to find another solution and just kept agreeing with Blaine as he spoke. He wasn’t going to embarrass himself further by continuing to fight for something that Blaine had obviously already given up on. He still had some pride and wasn’t going to beg.

Kurt half-heartedly listened as Blaine talked about how soon he would be leaving, but he wasn’t really paying attention. He was too busy trying to figure out how this had happened. How had he gone from being in love and seconds away from making the declaration for the first time to single in just a matter of minutes? How was this his life?

=^..^=

Blaine had thought long and hard about what he was going to do when the stalker was caught, but it wasn’t until after it had actually happened that he realized what had to be done. The bone deep terror he’d experienced when Rodney had rushed at Kurt had driven home for him once-and-for-all how deeply in love he was, how open he was leaving himself up to serious injury when Kurt inevitably moved on. It might even be a fatal blow if he stayed much longer. Leaving now was purely self-preservation.

He loved Kurt, but if life had taught him nothing else, it was that love wasn’t enough. He knew that now that they didn’t need to be with each other 24 hours a day, he and Kurt would start to drift away from each other and it was easier to break things off now than watch it all fall apart bit-by-bit.

And it would fall apart.

Blaine just didn’t inspire the kind of deep feelings that would keep them together despite the distance. The speed with which Kurt had agreed to the break-up was just a confirmation of that. No, it was better that it ended now, before Kurt managed to convince himself that what he felt for Blaine was love. That would only hurt Kurt more in the long run. This way he would recover quickly and find someone better, someone more worthy. Kurt was more confident in himself now and certainly a bigger draw in Hollywood and he would have men lining up outside his door.

Blaine loved Kurt, but it was better this way, less painful than a stretched out goodbye.

Yes, this was best for everyone. If only he could convince his heart.

=^..^=

A week later, Kurt stood in the doorway watching as the taxi drove away towards the airport. Through the back window he could see Blaine waving, his gelled hair glinting in the morning sun. When the car was finally out of sight, he turned back into the house and walked slowly into his bedroom. He sank down on the bed and laid back, turning his head when he felt something bulky beneath him. He rolled over and looked back at where he had been lying. There, lined up neatly on the comforter was strip-after-strip of colorful fabric.

Blaine was gone and he had left his bow ties behind.


	24. Chapter 24

_Did Oscar curse strike Kurt Hummel?_

_It has long been known in Hollywood that winning the Best Actress Oscar can be hazardous to your relationship. Sandra Bullock, Kate Winslet, Reese Witherspoon, and countless others have found themselves single within a year or so of claiming the coveted prize, but it looks like this year the famous Oscar curse may be switching things up a bit. Reports are circulating that recent Best Supporting Actor winner Kurt Hummel and boyfriend Blaine Anderson, who Kurt so memorably thanked in his acceptance speech, have parted ways and that Anderson has even left of the country. The news comes as a surprise to all who knew the photogenic couple. There were no hints of problems in the press and the lovebirds had recently been spotted attending a movie event together, where they were described by observers as “affectionate” and “obviously in love”. Kurt, who was just cast as Northstar in the upcoming X-Men reboot, has made no public comment on the split and his publicist will only say that he is looking forward to starting work on his new film next month. — ReelToReal, March 25 th, 2019_

=^..^=

Kurt slouched in his chair and stuck a finger under the collar of his skintight costume to try and loosen it a bit. He was supposed to be filming part of a fight scene where Northstar was almost hit by a flying locomotive, but mechanical problems had forced delay after delay. Each time he had retreated to his trailer he’d been called back almost immediately, promised that this time they had solved all of the problems. After walking back-and-forth to the set five times he’d given up and decided just to remain where he was.

The mid-May sun was warm and he tipped his head back to let it shine on his face (not for too long, though. Even with full make-up on he would still start to freckle in a matter of minutes). He was already finding the shoot to be a draining one despite the fact that they were only one month in. He’d been excited for the challenge of the different kind of role, but reality had not lived up to his expectations. To his disappointment, a stunt double was doing most of the action work (though Kurt was sure that he would be encouraged later to claim he’d done most of his own stunts) and much of the character development of his and other characters had been watered down in the script to allow for more time to be devoted to explosions and fight scenes (why couldn’t Joss Whedon have been the writer and director? He’d written some of the X-Men graphic novels, or so Kurt had been told).  Though he was still proud to be portraying the first openly gay superhero in the movies he was, for lack of a better word…bored.

It didn’t help matters much that he missed Blaine dreadfully every single day.

The stunt coordinator stalked by just then muttering something about needing another hour to fix whatever problem they were having, so Kurt nudged his chair over into the shade, leaned his head against a wall, and closed his eyes. He could still easily picture every second of that last week he and Blaine had spent together. He hadn’t wanted to risk losing any connection that might remain after Blaine left, so he’d tried to not put any pressure on Blaine to change his mind. Kurt had already voiced his preferences on what they should do and Blaine didn’t share them. It was time to let it go.

Despite the fact that they were breaking up, he and Blaine had spent that week acting as if they were still in a relationship. It might not have been the healthiest thing, but they weren’t parting on bad terms and there was no way they could spend that time together and not be, well….together.

The night before he left, Blaine had made love to him so gently and with such passion that Kurt had bitten his lip in order to not beg him to stay. It’d been bittersweet, but Kurt was happy to have that one last memory of them together.

The next morning they’d gotten ready in silence, neither one able to keep their eyes off of the clock as their last minutes together ticked away. Kurt had given Blaine a gift of a small album that contained some of his favorite photos of the two of them (“You now, to add to your client scrapbook”) and had tried not to cry.

When the taxi had arrived, he’d helped Blaine load his luggage into the trunk and extracted a promise that he would call as soon as his plane landed safely.

Blaine had opened his mouth to say something, but Kurt had pressed a finger over his lips to stop him. “No, don’t say goodbye. Let’s never say goodbye. Let’s just say until next time, okay?”

Blaine nodded and his eyes seemed to grow even larger in his face as tears started to gather. Kurt kissed him softly and then he was gone. He’d called, as promised, from the airport and they had talked off and on after that, but Blaine was busy with his new job and Kurt soon had costume fittings and make-up tests and it was hard to find the time.

It had been amazingly hard to go from more than five months in Blaine’s constant company to scattered texts and short phone calls. Kurt kept finding himself turning to show Blaine something or looking for him to see his reaction when something funny happened and each time his heart ached when there was no one there.

All the time alone had really given him time to think, though, and he’d taken the opportunity to really take a look at himself and what it was that he wanted from his career and his life. He still didn’t have it all figured out, but he felt like he was at least getting closer.

A tap on his shoulder broke Kurt from his reverie. The PA told him that they were finally ready to start filming, so he stood up and smoothed the front of the suit down over his now-very-defined abs. On with the show.

=^..^=

Time passed and Kurt and Blaine communicated less and less.  Even when Kurt had the time, he found himself sometimes avoiding making contact. It just hurt too much. Luckily, that free time was few and far between, since _X-Men_ was taking up so much of his time and it was hard to think about your sad love life when you were dangling from a ball-crushing harness in front of a green screen.

He couldn’t avoid all thoughts of Blaine, though. One day in early June, Kurt was talking with the director when he heard that the actor originally hired to play the narcissistic billionaire who causes the global catastrophe that was the catalyst for the rest of the movie had been forced to drop out due to over-runs in another film he was working on. His scenes were set to begin filming the next week, so the scramble was on to find a replacement. Kurt knew someone who would be perfect for the job, but he wasn’t sure if it was the best thing for himself emotionally. He finally decided that what had happened between him and Blaine couldn’t be used as an excuse to not give someone what could be their big break, so he contacted the casting director and made his suggestion.

Two days later, Cooper Anderson strolled onto the set and wrapped Kurt up in the biggest bear hug he’d ever had. “Kurt! You are the best little brother’s ex-boyfriend in the entire world, do you know that? I’m going to name my first born after you, even if it’s a girl. Kurtina’s a name, right? I can’t believe you gave them my name. I mean, I knew talent like mine wouldn’t remain the industry secret for too much longer, but I never say no to a shortcut. I had other roles I was circling around, of course, but nothing was official yet and, you know, a superhero franchise in the hand is worth two independent film leading roles in the bush, am I right?”

Kurt had laughed and introduced Cooper around, but every second he was on the set was just a constant reminder of Blaine and that week was especially hard. In a moment of weakness he had broken down and called Blaine to tell him about Cooper’s role, but the call was cut short when Blaine was called into a meeting and Kurt took that as a sign.

Eventually the calls and texts stopped altogether and by the beginning of September it’d been two months since they had been in contact.

=^..^=

Kurt was back in L.A. and had been called in for some _X-Men_ re-shoots. Just a few more days and he’d be free. Despite his agent’s frustration, he hadn’t signed on for any other roles, saying that he needed a vacation after the stressful action-packed filming schedule. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

The scene they were shooting that day had Kurt dressed in Northstar’s “casual” everyday clothes, of which he was supremely grateful. He’d seen enough of the restrictive black “hero” costume to last him a lifetime and was seriously thinking about asking if he could take the garment home after the film was finished so that he could burn it in a sacrificial bonfire.

They filmed for most of the morning before breaking for lunch. Kurt could have had lunch in his trailer, but preferred to eat with the rest of the crew in the giant tent that had been set up for meals. He bypassed the entertainment area of the tent, which included a foosball table and television that was set to one of the 24 hour news channels, and headed right for the buffet line, famished since he hadn’t eaten breakfast. He got his food then wandered over to an empty table, plunking his plate down and dropping into a chair.

He was just about to dig in when something the news anchor said caught his attention.

“…The target of the attempted kidnapping was Persephone Hamilton, the five-year old daughter of Goliath International Bank Vice President Foster Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton was transferred to the bank’s Zurich home office back in January in order to oversee its expansion into ten additional markets around the world. He reportedly began to receive death and kidnapping threats around that time and had hired several bodyguards to protect his family. There is no word yet on the condition of the bodyguard who foiled the kidnapping attempt, though local police do confirm he was injured and rushed to a local hospital. Witnesses report hearing several gunshots…”

Kurt watched the screen with a creeping sense of horror. There were thousands of bodyguards in the world and probably hundreds working in Zurich and it sounded like there were even several assigned to Foster Hamilton and his family, but he knew. He knew the report was talking about Blaine. He could feel it in his bones.

He dropped his fork and pushed back from the table, not even looking when the chair crashed to the ground behind him. He sprinted to his trailer and grabbed his phone, his hands shaking as he dialed Blaine’s number. It didn’t ring at all, instead sending him directly to voice mail. He left a quick message begging Blaine to call him and hung up. A look at the clock and a quick time zone calculation told him it was just after 10 o’clock in the evening in Zurich, so was possible, however unlikely, that Blaine was asleep.  He sent Blaine a text message too and grabbed his messenger bag, not even bothering to change out of his costume.

Within minutes he was in his car heading home. As soon as he stepped into the house he ran to his room and began to throw some clothes into an overnight bag. He had to get to Zurich. He was almost halfway to the door, bag in hand, when he stopped and looked around helplessly. He had no idea where to go once he got there. He didn’t know what hospital Blaine was in, if in fact, it was even him. He didn’t even know how long ago the attempted kidnapping had taken place. Had it only just happened when he’d seen the news report or was it an older story? If Blaine _was_ the bodyguard that was injured, was he even still alive?

Kurt had to find someone who had more information. Blaine’s company had to know the details, right? He looked around for his phone to make the call, but couldn’t find it. He must have left it in the car. He yanked the door open to go out to the garage and…Blaine.

Blaine was standing there in the doorway. His left arm was in a sling and he had a black eye and a bandage on his forehead and looked exhausted and pale and he was the best looking thing Kurt had ever seen. Kurt threw himself at Blaine, careful to avoid his injured side. He buried his face in Blaine’s neck and sobbed, crying even harder when he felt an arm curl around his waist.

“The news…I heard….hurt or worse…I just…” He was unable to form a coherent sentence and instead just babbled against Blaine’s shirt collar.

“God Kurt, I’ve missed you so much,” Blaine choked out with his lips against Kurt’s hair. “I was so stupid to push you away. I was scared and unsure and I thought that it if I ended things on my terms it wouldn’t hurt as much, but I was wrong. It hurt so bad and you were all I could think about. I was sitting in the hospital yesterday and all I wanted was to see you and feel your arms around me. I don’t have the right to ask this and I won’t blame you if you slam the door in my face, but I - I was hoping…I mean…”

Kurt pulled away until he was staring into Blaine’s eyes. “Shhh…Stop. I’ve missed you too. So much.” He saw that Blaine was swaying on his feet, so he led him into the bedroom and sat him on the bed while he removed both of their shoes. He gave Blaine a short kiss and the sensation of coming home, of being exactly where he needed to be, flooded over him. It wasn’t until he tasted tears on his lips that he realized he was still crying. He broke the kiss gently and sat back against the headboard, pulling Blaine to him so that he lay back against his chest. He reached up and ghosted his fingers around the bandage on Blaine’s forehead, careful not to touch it. “What happened?”

Blaine snuggled back against him and related the story of how five armed gunman had broken into the banker’s home and tried to kidnap his daughter while he was out of town. The sound of breaking glass had awoken Blaine and he had gotten the girl out of the house and into the car. Unfortunately, they were spotted as they were making their getaway, so there had been a car chase through the streets of Zurich, which ended in a crash that had resulted in his cut and black eye. After the accident, he’d exchanged gunfire with their pursuers. He’d been able to take two of them down before being shot in the arm and shoulder and had been fighting off unconsciousness when the police had arrived. Thankfully, the attackers had been arrested and the little girl had been unharmed.

Blaine had spent a day in the hospital (the attack had actually taken place two days previously, but the media was just now getting the details) and upon being discharged had immediately gone to the airport to get a flight to L.A.

Kurt listened in silence, glad that Blaine couldn’t see the dismay on his face as he heard the story. When he was finished, Kurt buried his lips in the matted curls in front of him and used his patented humor to try and lighten the mood. “I’m a little jealous that you didn’t take a bullet for _me,_ you know. Makes me feel like I didn’t get your all.”

Blaine began to laugh, but stopped and grimaced in pain when the movement jiggled his shoulder. Kurt could feel the weariness in every inch of Blaine’s body, so he petted his hand and told him to sleep. Blaine didn’t even protest and was out like a light in seconds. Kurt pulled him closer and laid back, enjoying the feeling of having him back in his arms.

Kurt was fixing breakfast the next morning when Blaine came in and sat at the kitchen table. “You look much better,” he observed as he eyed Blaine’s improved color.

“I feel it too. Spending that many hours in a plane isn’t pleasant under any circumstances, but I definitely don’t recommend flying with your arm in a sling,” Blaine said, running a hand over his injured arm for emphasis.

Kurt finished squeezing the orange juice and set the pitcher on the table. He sat down and fussed with the table cloth, smoothing out a wrinkle as an uncomfortable silence settled over them. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he didn’t really know where to begin.

Blaine poured himself a small glass of juice and drank it down in one gulp before setting the glass down with a little more force than was necessary, a determined look on his face.

“Kurt, I have to say what I came to say. I can’t make the same mistake again of keeping it all inside.  I spent the last six months thinking about why I just ran away instead of staying and fighting for what we had and what it all boils down to is that I’m a coward and I run away every time I think I’m about to get hurt.” Kurt started to protest, but Blaine held up a hand to stop him. “I just need to get this out, okay? I-I don’t think I ever got over thinking that what my parents did was my fault and I’ve spent years convinced that there’s something inherently unlovable about me. But the more I looked back on my time with you, the more I saw that I didn’t have to be afraid of what would happen when you finally saw the real me, because that’s what you’d been doing all along. I didn’t have to dread the day you decided you wanted more, wanted love, because the love was already there.”

Kurt couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “It is. It is. I love you so much. I’m _in_ love with you,” he managed to get out past the catch in this throat. “I should have told you that as soon as I knew, but I was scared. I’ve never been in love before, not really, and I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t.”

“We’ll figure it out together.” Blaine clutched Kurt’s hands tightly as he spoke and a shiver ran down Kurt’s spine at the familiar touch. “I love you. Utterly and completely.”

Kurt jumped up from his chair and moved over to sit on Blaine’s lap, leaning against his right side and setting his head against his shoulder, needing to be closer in that moment.

“I think the universe was giving me a second chance when I got away from the kidnapping attempt relatively unscathed,” Blaine said as he tugged Kurt closer. Kurt relaxed into the hold and could hear their heart beats sync up and begin to beat in tandem. “This just isn’t the life for me anymore. I’m going to quit my job and pursue becoming a teacher. That’s what my plan was before the whole bodyguard thing dropped into my lap. I’m going to get a job here in L.A. and we’ll make it work when you’re on location. I’ll keep the home fires burning until you return.” Kurt started shaking his head and Blaine’s smile fell. “If-if you want to try. I mean, I don’t want to assume, but —”

“No, no, no. I just have something that I want to tell you too,” Kurt reassured him. “I’ve decided that I don’t want to do movies anymore. I absolutely hated being on location away from home and everyone I knew. Hollywood just isn’t the place for me. It’s too fake and superficial. I don’t like myself when I’m here. Life’s too short and the theater is what I love, so I want to move back to New York and return to Broadway full-time. At least for now. I can’t promise that the movies won’t call me back at some point, but by then we’ll have it all figured out. Will you come to New York with me? I’ve missed you so much.  I feel like I’ve been missing a limb or something. Everything reminds me of you. Nothing seems real because I don’t have you to share it with. Please, I —“

“Of course I’ll come to New York, Kurt. I’d like to see anyone try and stop me.”

Relief engulfed him and before he knew it, he was kissing Blaine with an intensity born of almost one hundred and eighty days of missed kisses. Sweet kisses, passionate kisses, desperate kisses, sleepy kisses, casual “mhaw” kisses, and goodbye kisses — he’d missed them all. He let out a shaky breath as they broke apart and buried his face in the curve of Blaine’s throat, unable to even think of moving away.

“Kurt,” Blaine whispered tentatively. “do you…”

“What? You can ask me anything.”

“Do you still have my bow ties?”

=^..^=

 _Kurt Hummel is returning to Broadway this spring in a new original musical from Disney and Stephen Schwartz, the man behind such hits as_ Wicked _,_ Godspell _, and_ Pippin _._ Toy Story: The Musical _is based on the Disney/Pixar movie of the same name and Kurt will play Woody, the humble cowboy doll who is the leader of a group of toys that comes alive when humans aren’t around…Kurt recently made headlines when he declared his retirement from making movies only eight months after winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He and boyfriend Blaine Anderson, who he reunited with back in September, have recently made the move back to New York City and are already being spotted out and about in their Greenwich Village neighborhood…Tickets for_ Toy Story _, which begins previews in January and opens on March 3 rd, go on sale next week at…— BroadwayStageNews, November 20th, 2019._

=^..^=

_Hallelujah! Kurt is coming back to the stage   who all plans on coming out for opening night? I think we need to have a meet up of all the tumblr folks that are coming_

_hell yeah I’ll be there  we deserve this after the worst 6 months of our entire lives #seriously those boys about gave me a heart attack_

_#if I see blaine at the show I’m going to just curl up into a little ball of feels and expire right there in the theater #i can’t believe my rl otp is back together_

_#i,m cry_

_Oh god this is going to be good! I think Oscar Winner and Two Time Tony Award Winner has a nice ring to it. #a girl can dream_

_I’ll volunteer to coordinate all of the nyc plans. Let’s show Kurt how much we care by turning out in force for his opening night. #KurtHummelStreetTeam_

=^..^=

“Blaine have you seen my dance shoes? I can’t find them and I’m going to be late for rehearsal.”

Blaine looked up from his computer, where he was studying for the New York State Teacher Certification test and glanced around the living room. “I think I see them in the corner by the television,” he called out to Kurt, who was back in the bedroom.

A current of air ruffled his curls as Kurt came running around the corner and skidded across the smooth hardwood floors in his socks. He stooped down to pick up the wayward shoes and tucked them into his practice bag.

“You know, I wouldn’t have this problem if you’d stop pouncing on me as soon as I walk in the door. Give a guy a few minutes to put his stuff away.”

“Hey, I’ve seen the movies. It’s romantic when the passion is so great that clothes and belongings are sent flying with no concern for where they land.”

“This isn’t the movies, Blaine. Clothes wrinkle and stuff gets misplaced here in the real world.”

Blaine just grinned innocently and watched as Kurt slipped on his sweatshirt (the one with zippers that ran all the way down the sleeves that absolutely drove Blaine crazy. If Kurt wanted him to stop greeting him at the door with lust in his eyes this was so _not_ the way to go about it).

Things had moved fast after he’d shown up on Kurt’s doorstep in September and they’d finally bared their souls to each other. Kurt had finished up his part in the movie that week and then officially told his agent, Bev, and Lynn about his decision to return to New York. None of them had been happy, to say the least, but they had ultimately supported his decision (not that they had any choice in the matter).  When producers of _Toy Story: The Musical_ had heard that Kurt was going to return to Broadway they had contacted him immediately with an offer for the lead role, no audition necessary. The rehearsal schedule had necessitated a change to the New York relocation timetable and he and Kurt were moved in by the beginning of November.

Amazingly, they seemed to have finally solved their major communication problems, and while the past few months hadn’t been without a little bit of drama and a few arguments, there hadn’t been any occasions when they’d shut each other out. Blaine hadn’t totally conquered his fear of abandonment and feelings of inadequacy and Kurt still had moments where the intimacy of their relationship scared him, but they were dealing with their issues head on.

Blaine had wondered if Kurt might change his mind about leaving his movie career behind, but so far he’d shown no signs of it. He would still have to make the trip back out to L.A. for photo shoots, interviews, and any needed ADR on the _X-Men_ , but the producers of the musical were willing to work around that, as well as the time off he would need in May when the film opened.

Previews for the show were only a few weeks away now, and while Kurt wasn’t as calm and put together as he had been when rehearsals started, he definitely seemed to be handling the stress well. Since Blaine wasn’t working for the time being, he was spending his days getting to know the city and picking up various items Kurt had selected to decorate their home. He had also been secretly picking out the present he was going to give Kurt on opening night. He planned on going out to Brooklyn that day actually, to visit the puppy that would just be ready to leave its mother in early March.

He smiled as Kurt stopped next to the front door and made a final check in the mirror that hung there, repositioning a stray hair with one finger. “You were wrong just now, you know.”

Kurt stopped with one hand on the door knob. “About what?”

Blaine rose from the sofa and padded over to where Kurt was standing. “About our lives not being like the movies. They are you know.” His kissed Kurt until they were both breathless and stepped back to admire the pink that had flooded his cheeks. “They’re like the good ones where the couple always gets together in the end. And do you know what happens next?”

“They live happily ever after?”

“They live happily ever after.”


End file.
